This morning I am praying for people. People on my heart, people that the Holy Spirit brings to my mind.
I pray for a very special child who is shy in public. Lord, give her the skills to interact with others and be comfortable with herself and them. Thank you that your hand is upon her.
I pray for my close friend who is searching the way forward with his work. Lord, open the right door for him, show him the way to go, encourage his heart, provide for the needs of his family.
I pray for another very close friend in another state. He has encouraged so many, send encouragement to him. Heal the wounds of the past year and lead him and his family forth in your goodness.
I pray for the different people I have crossed paths with in the last few weeks who have lost a loved one at Christmas. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Help them to look to you in faith, guard their hearts from the questions and accusations the enemy brings against You when suffering comes. I especially pray for the two I know who lost their son.
Christmas is when God drew near at Bethlehem. Lord, you still want to draw near to us. How your heart longs that we draw near to you. We draw near with humble hearts. You are a good God. In love, in gratitude, in need, we draw near to you.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Sparkliest Christmas Tree Ever, or Let's Switch Eyes
Jack is my favorite boy. My only son is three years old, has red hair, and is one of the best things that ever happend to me.
This morning we were looking at the Christmas tree. It was still dark outside. The house was quiet, the only lights the soft glow of the tree. The girls still asleep upstairs, Jack unusually peaceful in his mom's lap. I showed Jack how to squint his eyes so the lights would look sparkly. We played and laughed and our tree became the sparkliest tree ever! It's beautiful!
After a minute Jack put his palms on his mother's cheeks, got his face right up to hers and said "Let's take out your eyes and take out my eyes and switch!"
At first it was just another in the stream of constant silly suggestions that come from a 3 year old boy, but all of a sudden it seemed like a good idea. "What would the tree look like if I was looking at it through my son's eyes?" It seemed exciting to think about how I would feel if I was looking at the sparkliest Christmas tree ever through the eyes of a child, a tree covered with diamonds and stars, a tree already guarding a host of presents. Some of those presents had my name on them! What could they be?
I would look at our manger scene, the one that graced my grandmother's front porch every Christmas of my childhood, and try again to imagine myself hidden in the shadows, imagining myself being there as I have done so many times as a child. Smelling the hay, listening to the slow, deep breathing of the cow and the sheep, watching the wonder on the shepherds' faces as they found Him. I would reverently walk forward, Joseph would smile. Now Mary holds out her hand to me, an invitation to come and touch the baby Jesus. Suddenly I am sharing in the wonder and the excitement that sometimes gets lost when you've had more than 10 or 12 Christmas mornings. I thought it would be a fantastic idea to switch eyes!
Then I began to wonder what Jack would see through my eyes. The tree is beautiful, he would note. But he would also see the unused wrapping paper - unused because I still have a number of presents to wrap. But actually I need to buy them first. Before that I need to decide exactly what I'm looking for, or maybe I could just wander around the mall like the other men. Plus we have another Christmas party. Plus a few things undone around the house because of so much else going on. Oh yeah, get the oil changed and begin packing for our holiday trip out of town...
What would my son see if we traded eyes? Would he see the wonder, or would he wonder what had happened to me? Switching eyes would be a good deal for me, but I love him too much to switch. I will let him keep the sparkly, starry eyes of a child and pray they always show him the wonder of Christmas.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.
This morning we were looking at the Christmas tree. It was still dark outside. The house was quiet, the only lights the soft glow of the tree. The girls still asleep upstairs, Jack unusually peaceful in his mom's lap. I showed Jack how to squint his eyes so the lights would look sparkly. We played and laughed and our tree became the sparkliest tree ever! It's beautiful!
After a minute Jack put his palms on his mother's cheeks, got his face right up to hers and said "Let's take out your eyes and take out my eyes and switch!"
At first it was just another in the stream of constant silly suggestions that come from a 3 year old boy, but all of a sudden it seemed like a good idea. "What would the tree look like if I was looking at it through my son's eyes?" It seemed exciting to think about how I would feel if I was looking at the sparkliest Christmas tree ever through the eyes of a child, a tree covered with diamonds and stars, a tree already guarding a host of presents. Some of those presents had my name on them! What could they be?
I would look at our manger scene, the one that graced my grandmother's front porch every Christmas of my childhood, and try again to imagine myself hidden in the shadows, imagining myself being there as I have done so many times as a child. Smelling the hay, listening to the slow, deep breathing of the cow and the sheep, watching the wonder on the shepherds' faces as they found Him. I would reverently walk forward, Joseph would smile. Now Mary holds out her hand to me, an invitation to come and touch the baby Jesus. Suddenly I am sharing in the wonder and the excitement that sometimes gets lost when you've had more than 10 or 12 Christmas mornings. I thought it would be a fantastic idea to switch eyes!
Then I began to wonder what Jack would see through my eyes. The tree is beautiful, he would note. But he would also see the unused wrapping paper - unused because I still have a number of presents to wrap. But actually I need to buy them first. Before that I need to decide exactly what I'm looking for, or maybe I could just wander around the mall like the other men. Plus we have another Christmas party. Plus a few things undone around the house because of so much else going on. Oh yeah, get the oil changed and begin packing for our holiday trip out of town...
What would my son see if we traded eyes? Would he see the wonder, or would he wonder what had happened to me? Switching eyes would be a good deal for me, but I love him too much to switch. I will let him keep the sparkly, starry eyes of a child and pray they always show him the wonder of Christmas.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.
Monday, November 24, 2008
To Don't List
It's cold outside, and cool inside too. Woke up much too early to get out of bed, so I snuggled up to my wife, breathed a contented sigh, closed my eyes, and... just laid there. In that moment of awakeness, my brain started booting up. Then I remembered a couple of things I need to do at work today and it was over. So I kissed my love on the cheek (she didn't budge), bundled up in my sweats, and came downstairs to turn on the coffeemaker. The automatic brew still has about 45 minutes before it starts, but I'm excited about the Caribou Reindeer brew that my friend Richard (www.richardisrael.com) highly recommends. Smells real good.
One of the first thoughts that ran through my brain this morning (as it was still booting up) was from Joshua 1. The Lord told Joshua "Be careful to do everything I told Moses to tell ya'll." (Yes, that is a Southern paraphrase. No, it is not less grammatically correct, it is more. In Latin, and most other languages, there is a difference between the singular and the plural forms of "you", so you can tell if you are speaking to one person or a group of people. Somehow in English it's the same word for both so you're never quite sure, you just have to figure it out. But Southerns have corrected that problem with the language - "you" is singular, "ya'll" (or you all) is plural. Or if you came from the mountains like me, "you uns" can be substituted for "ya'll", but I will admit that is less grammatically correct, even though I didn't suspect that until I was in high school and finally confirmed it at Chapel Hill.)
Apparently my brain is still booting up, but the coffee is done and as good as Richard promised. I see a new holiday tradition in the making.
So anyway the Lord was speaking to the group of people, saying he had given them instructions that, when followed, would result in success. Then immediately I could hear Jesus saying "My meat is to do the will of Him who sent me."
I've been focused a lot lately on my to do list. Or lists I should say. For work, for home, etc. This morning the Holy Spirit was reminding me of a couple of things:
First, that God's will is something do be DONE. Obedience is action. It is not meditation or intention. God told Joshua that the thing that resulted in success was DOING the Words He had spoken. Jesus said that his most basic need was to DO the will of God.
Secondly, that my focus should simply be on pleasing Him. Jesus told his friends, "When I do the will of my Father, it satisfies my basic needs in ways that you don't know anything about yet."
It's easy, for me at least, to get caught up in the day and the to do list. Sometimes religious people get caught up in the to don't list, which in my experience is much worse for all concerned. But this morning I'm taking a minute to think about what Jesus said - I have meat that you know not of. What are the opportunities that my heavenly Father has for me? What is His work for today. I pray that I DO that, and in the process get the most important items on the written to do list checked off too.
One of the first thoughts that ran through my brain this morning (as it was still booting up) was from Joshua 1. The Lord told Joshua "Be careful to do everything I told Moses to tell ya'll." (Yes, that is a Southern paraphrase. No, it is not less grammatically correct, it is more. In Latin, and most other languages, there is a difference between the singular and the plural forms of "you", so you can tell if you are speaking to one person or a group of people. Somehow in English it's the same word for both so you're never quite sure, you just have to figure it out. But Southerns have corrected that problem with the language - "you" is singular, "ya'll" (or you all) is plural. Or if you came from the mountains like me, "you uns" can be substituted for "ya'll", but I will admit that is less grammatically correct, even though I didn't suspect that until I was in high school and finally confirmed it at Chapel Hill.)
Apparently my brain is still booting up, but the coffee is done and as good as Richard promised. I see a new holiday tradition in the making.
So anyway the Lord was speaking to the group of people, saying he had given them instructions that, when followed, would result in success. Then immediately I could hear Jesus saying "My meat is to do the will of Him who sent me."
I've been focused a lot lately on my to do list. Or lists I should say. For work, for home, etc. This morning the Holy Spirit was reminding me of a couple of things:
First, that God's will is something do be DONE. Obedience is action. It is not meditation or intention. God told Joshua that the thing that resulted in success was DOING the Words He had spoken. Jesus said that his most basic need was to DO the will of God.
Secondly, that my focus should simply be on pleasing Him. Jesus told his friends, "When I do the will of my Father, it satisfies my basic needs in ways that you don't know anything about yet."
It's easy, for me at least, to get caught up in the day and the to do list. Sometimes religious people get caught up in the to don't list, which in my experience is much worse for all concerned. But this morning I'm taking a minute to think about what Jesus said - I have meat that you know not of. What are the opportunities that my heavenly Father has for me? What is His work for today. I pray that I DO that, and in the process get the most important items on the written to do list checked off too.
Monday, October 13, 2008
I Dare You
There is something almost irresistible about a dare. Deep down, each of us stands ready to rise to the challenge. We want and sometimes even need to show that we are more than ready, that we do indeed have what it takes to pass the test.
Last weekend my wife and I had an evening planned together. A friend of ours was scheduled to exhibit a number of his paintings in an uptown gallery as part of an art crawl. I enjoyed meeting several artists and hearing about their work and learning how their life is different than mine. To be honest I felt a little out of place looking at artwork that cost as much as my truck, but Sunnie was enjoying herself and she was laughing a lot. The lights meant to illuminate the works of art highlighted a sparkle in her eyes that every diamond in the world must envy. We enjoyed being together.
Afterwards we went to see the movie Fireproof (www.fireproofthemovie.com/). I had not heard much about it, but we had planned an evening together and that's what she wanted to do. So we bought our tickets and a bag of M&Ms & found our seats. After 3 hours and 14 minutes of introductions and previews, the movie started.
Without re-telling the story (you should see it yourself) let me say we are invited into the lives of a successful young firefighter and his wife. He's very good at his work, but not very good in this relationship. His father "dares" him to make it work.
I would recommend the movie Fireproof to every adult I know - but let me tell you this: Don't expect to be entertained. Yes I laughed. Yes I cried (yes, I got misty-eyed too, but at one point near the end actually had tears on my face, which is not a common occurrence for me. And I was thinking, they BETTER NOT end this movie right now when I'm sitting here with tears on my face. But they proved themselves trustworthy and allowed me a few minutes to get it together before the lights came up). Parts of the movie are very entertaining, but it's not entertainment. This is something more. This is something better.
Don't make up your mind during the first five minutes - I started out hoping this wasn't a dud. But during the course of the movie I came to care about the characters and what happened to them. At times, it hurt to watch. Not because of what was happening on screen, but because I knew that hundreds and thousands of people who will be watching this movie had experienced some form of it in their own living rooms.
My wife and I have been married 18 years. Our relationship is strong and healthy and we are very thankful to be together. The most common year for divorces is the seventh year. After seven years, a couple has worked through some problems that many others were divorced over. So my wife and I have worked through some problems. It is painful at the time and it is painful to remember. (I remember one late night discussion, I impulsively told her: "You know what your problem is? You married a man! That's your problem!" Fortunately we both started laughing and that was the end of that.)
In my thinking, this movie represents the highest and best that movie-making can be: it builds you up. It offers hope. It creates the desire to aspire. Most importantly, it points the way to permanent solutions to all the challenges we face. The Bible says that love builds up, it makes stonger. So much of what passes for entertainment does nothing of the sort.
So go see it. I dare you.
Last weekend my wife and I had an evening planned together. A friend of ours was scheduled to exhibit a number of his paintings in an uptown gallery as part of an art crawl. I enjoyed meeting several artists and hearing about their work and learning how their life is different than mine. To be honest I felt a little out of place looking at artwork that cost as much as my truck, but Sunnie was enjoying herself and she was laughing a lot. The lights meant to illuminate the works of art highlighted a sparkle in her eyes that every diamond in the world must envy. We enjoyed being together.
Afterwards we went to see the movie Fireproof (www.fireproofthemovie.com/). I had not heard much about it, but we had planned an evening together and that's what she wanted to do. So we bought our tickets and a bag of M&Ms & found our seats. After 3 hours and 14 minutes of introductions and previews, the movie started.
Without re-telling the story (you should see it yourself) let me say we are invited into the lives of a successful young firefighter and his wife. He's very good at his work, but not very good in this relationship. His father "dares" him to make it work.
I would recommend the movie Fireproof to every adult I know - but let me tell you this: Don't expect to be entertained. Yes I laughed. Yes I cried (yes, I got misty-eyed too, but at one point near the end actually had tears on my face, which is not a common occurrence for me. And I was thinking, they BETTER NOT end this movie right now when I'm sitting here with tears on my face. But they proved themselves trustworthy and allowed me a few minutes to get it together before the lights came up). Parts of the movie are very entertaining, but it's not entertainment. This is something more. This is something better.
Don't make up your mind during the first five minutes - I started out hoping this wasn't a dud. But during the course of the movie I came to care about the characters and what happened to them. At times, it hurt to watch. Not because of what was happening on screen, but because I knew that hundreds and thousands of people who will be watching this movie had experienced some form of it in their own living rooms.
My wife and I have been married 18 years. Our relationship is strong and healthy and we are very thankful to be together. The most common year for divorces is the seventh year. After seven years, a couple has worked through some problems that many others were divorced over. So my wife and I have worked through some problems. It is painful at the time and it is painful to remember. (I remember one late night discussion, I impulsively told her: "You know what your problem is? You married a man! That's your problem!" Fortunately we both started laughing and that was the end of that.)
In my thinking, this movie represents the highest and best that movie-making can be: it builds you up. It offers hope. It creates the desire to aspire. Most importantly, it points the way to permanent solutions to all the challenges we face. The Bible says that love builds up, it makes stonger. So much of what passes for entertainment does nothing of the sort.
So go see it. I dare you.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
22 Thoughts for the Day
1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
Today I am reading and thinking upon and praying through Psalm 34. For this selection from the New King James Version I am grateful to my favorite online Bible site http://www.biblegateway.com/ ,where you can freely view and search multiple versions of the entire Bible.
Thank you Lord for your good promises to your people. Our hearts are steady when we trust in You.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
Today I am reading and thinking upon and praying through Psalm 34. For this selection from the New King James Version I am grateful to my favorite online Bible site http://www.biblegateway.com/ ,where you can freely view and search multiple versions of the entire Bible.
Thank you Lord for your good promises to your people. Our hearts are steady when we trust in You.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Where does she stand on the Issues?
This week we have seen history. The country has been electrified with Sarah Palin. If I was writing this last week an introduction would have been necessary. But if you haven't heard the name Sarah Palin this week, where have you been? You must have been out of the country - no wait, that wouldn't work. Maybe the remotest parts of Alaska.
I decided a while back that I would vote for John McCain, but Wednesday night was the first night I felt enthusiastic about it. His VP selection is a gamble but I think a smart one. He may not win the election but he has a better chance with this dark horse candidate than with any of the usual suspects.
On a side note, I am so thankful to live in a country where I can state my opinion publicly without fear of arrest or reprimand if he loses, that I live in a country where his name is not the only name on the ballot or opposition supporters might torch my home for disagreeing with them. And I am thankful to live in a country that has chosen Barak Obama as a candidate for President. I disagree strongly with him on a number of issues but his life story is amazing and is an American story and is the reason people all over the world still look to America, because stories like this give HOPE. I will not vote for him, but it is because I disagree with him on the issues. His race is not a factor in my decision and doesn't seem to be for most which makes me think we might be making some progress.
Anyway, last night I was amazed at how Sarah Palin's person was summarized for public consumption. I don't remember the exact quote but it went something like "She's a hard-charging corruption-fighting snowmobile-riding moose-hunting conservative mother of five." Wow! That Todd must be a REAL man. No wonder they call him the First Dude.
I read somewhere that John McCain had met her once before announcing her as his Veep, so it wasn't her high-powered personality that won him over. It had to be her stand on the issues, and how he felt she could add something to his bid for the White House.
Where does she stand on the issues? I'm sure we'll find out more, but on paper she looks like a great conservative candidate. Where does Barak Obama stand on the issues? I'm sure we'll find out more but on paper he looks like a great liberal candidate.
This morning I woke up thinking about the issues. I wondered what it would sound like if my own life and beliefs were so analyzed and summarized, sliced & diced and bandied about like a baseball player's stats.
I got to thinking about how my Heavenly Father had picked me. I can tell you this, it wasn't because I can add something to His ticket. And it wasn't because I was right on all the issues. I have issues that you don't even know about. I probably have issues that I don't even know about, but at the right time the Holy Spirit will bring them up because He loves me and it is His determined purpose that I be conformed to the image of Jesus. He knows all about me, and where I stand on the issues, and what my own issues are and where I stand on them, where I'm right and where I'm conservative and where I'm liberal.
Thankfully He doesn't pick on the basis of that. He picks as He does because it pleases Him to do so. He doesn't owe us an explanation but has given one anyway. He owes us nothing but has given us everything in the person of His son Jesus Christ.
I am so thankful to live in this country. But my citizenship is not here. I am a citizen of Heaven. If you don't like that, that's because you're not from there. I will participate respectfully in the governing process while I'm here, but my heart longs for home and it will be glad when I get there. In the meantime, I've got to take a stand on the issues. Lord, let me be right on the issues that matter to You.
I decided a while back that I would vote for John McCain, but Wednesday night was the first night I felt enthusiastic about it. His VP selection is a gamble but I think a smart one. He may not win the election but he has a better chance with this dark horse candidate than with any of the usual suspects.
On a side note, I am so thankful to live in a country where I can state my opinion publicly without fear of arrest or reprimand if he loses, that I live in a country where his name is not the only name on the ballot or opposition supporters might torch my home for disagreeing with them. And I am thankful to live in a country that has chosen Barak Obama as a candidate for President. I disagree strongly with him on a number of issues but his life story is amazing and is an American story and is the reason people all over the world still look to America, because stories like this give HOPE. I will not vote for him, but it is because I disagree with him on the issues. His race is not a factor in my decision and doesn't seem to be for most which makes me think we might be making some progress.
Anyway, last night I was amazed at how Sarah Palin's person was summarized for public consumption. I don't remember the exact quote but it went something like "She's a hard-charging corruption-fighting snowmobile-riding moose-hunting conservative mother of five." Wow! That Todd must be a REAL man. No wonder they call him the First Dude.
I read somewhere that John McCain had met her once before announcing her as his Veep, so it wasn't her high-powered personality that won him over. It had to be her stand on the issues, and how he felt she could add something to his bid for the White House.
Where does she stand on the issues? I'm sure we'll find out more, but on paper she looks like a great conservative candidate. Where does Barak Obama stand on the issues? I'm sure we'll find out more but on paper he looks like a great liberal candidate.
This morning I woke up thinking about the issues. I wondered what it would sound like if my own life and beliefs were so analyzed and summarized, sliced & diced and bandied about like a baseball player's stats.
I got to thinking about how my Heavenly Father had picked me. I can tell you this, it wasn't because I can add something to His ticket. And it wasn't because I was right on all the issues. I have issues that you don't even know about. I probably have issues that I don't even know about, but at the right time the Holy Spirit will bring them up because He loves me and it is His determined purpose that I be conformed to the image of Jesus. He knows all about me, and where I stand on the issues, and what my own issues are and where I stand on them, where I'm right and where I'm conservative and where I'm liberal.
Thankfully He doesn't pick on the basis of that. He picks as He does because it pleases Him to do so. He doesn't owe us an explanation but has given one anyway. He owes us nothing but has given us everything in the person of His son Jesus Christ.
I am so thankful to live in this country. But my citizenship is not here. I am a citizen of Heaven. If you don't like that, that's because you're not from there. I will participate respectfully in the governing process while I'm here, but my heart longs for home and it will be glad when I get there. In the meantime, I've got to take a stand on the issues. Lord, let me be right on the issues that matter to You.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Take it to the bank
Emma is my daughter. She is seven and she makes my heart sing. She has a wonderful, very happy smile. She doesn't give it up easily but when she decides to turn it on she can light up every face in the room. Her brown curly hair regularly attracts attention, all her life strangers have walked up to her to comment on it. (I remember once telling a mom in Walmart that no, we did not get her a perm, she's only 2!) She can be shy in public but at home she loves to take center stage - singing, dancing, and trying to create as much hoopla and laughter as possible.
She's a great reader and loves attending the Branch Christian Academy. One day this spring I picked Emma up from school to have some daddy/daughter time together. I had to stop by the bank and as often happens Emma attracted the attention of the ladies who worked there. She was kind of shy but seemed to take it in stride.
Emma had her school uniform on, so one of the ladies working in the lobby asked her about school. Emma told her she was working on her memory lesson. "Can you say it to me?" she asked?
Emma nodded shyly and began. Children can be so open, their trust and vulnerability can break down the walls around our grown up hearts. Quietly and steadily Emma repeated "For God so loved the world, He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
For just a second it was very quiet. It was a holy moment, right there in the bank lobby. It was like someone had turned on a light, and suddenly everyone realized how dark it had been.
"That was really good honey" the misty-eyed bank lady told her. Then she gave her a yellow sucker, and we walked up to the teller. That holy moment was gone, but not forgotten.
I've prayed for that lady we saw at the bank that day. I'm not in that branch much anymore and I haven't seen her since then, but I have prayed for her when I remembered that day. I don't know what she decided to do with the Message, but I know she heard the truth.
This message about Jesus is wonderful news. And you can take it to the bank.
She's a great reader and loves attending the Branch Christian Academy. One day this spring I picked Emma up from school to have some daddy/daughter time together. I had to stop by the bank and as often happens Emma attracted the attention of the ladies who worked there. She was kind of shy but seemed to take it in stride.
Emma had her school uniform on, so one of the ladies working in the lobby asked her about school. Emma told her she was working on her memory lesson. "Can you say it to me?" she asked?
Emma nodded shyly and began. Children can be so open, their trust and vulnerability can break down the walls around our grown up hearts. Quietly and steadily Emma repeated "For God so loved the world, He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
For just a second it was very quiet. It was a holy moment, right there in the bank lobby. It was like someone had turned on a light, and suddenly everyone realized how dark it had been.
"That was really good honey" the misty-eyed bank lady told her. Then she gave her a yellow sucker, and we walked up to the teller. That holy moment was gone, but not forgotten.
I've prayed for that lady we saw at the bank that day. I'm not in that branch much anymore and I haven't seen her since then, but I have prayed for her when I remembered that day. I don't know what she decided to do with the Message, but I know she heard the truth.
This message about Jesus is wonderful news. And you can take it to the bank.
Monday, August 25, 2008
The End of Faith
My faith is coming to an end.
OK, I admit it right up front. The title is designed to grab some attention, at least in the circles I run in. I'm not rehashing that REM line about losing my religion. I'm thinking about something a guy named Peter said a while back. You remember Peter, the brash bold guy who followed Jesus? One minute loudly proclaiming that he would follow Jesus to the death, the next denying he even knew Him.
If anyone ever looked like he was losing his religion, it was Peter. One of the most vocal followers of the radical Son of Man, Peter was in the spotlight during a famous and very public fall from grace. It was crunch time, and Peter just seemed to throw it all away. Then Jesus is publicly crucified. Peter's faith seemed dead and the One his faith was in was dead too.
Game over. Finis. The End.
But faith, like love and hope, has a life all it's own. True faith, the Bible kind of faith, is not of our own creation or invention. This isn't something we cook up on our own. The Bible teaches that God has provided for us His very own faith, not based on circumstances but that calls things that be not as though they were.
Peter walked through some painful moments, and perhaps he thought he had lost it all. But then something unusual happened. Jesus rose from the grave (I'm not making this stuff up - there were hundreds of eyewitnesses to all this, several of them wrote a book about it.) Peter thought he had come to the end of his faith, but then Jesus showed up and made some mighty promises to Him. Our faith is like a seed, and the Words of Jesus are the life inside the seed. They've found seeds that were thousands of years old, and when they planted them, they grew! ( http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/12/MNGJND7G5T1.DTL)Nobody knows how a seed has life in it, but it does. God's promises are like the life inside the seed of faith.
So Jesus restored Peter. And a humbler and bolder Peter now went forth. Peter came to realize that faith doesn't quit, and it doesn't die easily. That the only real end to faith is not a death, but a goal.
In I Peter 1:9, Peter declares that we are receiving the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls. Faith doesn't stop or end or quit. When I get to Heaven, my faith will be fulfilled. But in this life the only end of my faith is the salvation of my soul. Other translations say it like this: the goal of your faith, the outcome of your faith, "the reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls."
Sometimes it looks dark. Some things we walk through are painful at the time. As followers of Jesus, we don't quit. Our faith is not as fragile as it first seemed. There is an end to our faith, but it is not something lost, it is something gained: The Message translation says it like this: "Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation."
OK, I admit it right up front. The title is designed to grab some attention, at least in the circles I run in. I'm not rehashing that REM line about losing my religion. I'm thinking about something a guy named Peter said a while back. You remember Peter, the brash bold guy who followed Jesus? One minute loudly proclaiming that he would follow Jesus to the death, the next denying he even knew Him.
If anyone ever looked like he was losing his religion, it was Peter. One of the most vocal followers of the radical Son of Man, Peter was in the spotlight during a famous and very public fall from grace. It was crunch time, and Peter just seemed to throw it all away. Then Jesus is publicly crucified. Peter's faith seemed dead and the One his faith was in was dead too.
Game over. Finis. The End.
But faith, like love and hope, has a life all it's own. True faith, the Bible kind of faith, is not of our own creation or invention. This isn't something we cook up on our own. The Bible teaches that God has provided for us His very own faith, not based on circumstances but that calls things that be not as though they were.
Peter walked through some painful moments, and perhaps he thought he had lost it all. But then something unusual happened. Jesus rose from the grave (I'm not making this stuff up - there were hundreds of eyewitnesses to all this, several of them wrote a book about it.) Peter thought he had come to the end of his faith, but then Jesus showed up and made some mighty promises to Him. Our faith is like a seed, and the Words of Jesus are the life inside the seed. They've found seeds that were thousands of years old, and when they planted them, they grew! ( http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/12/MNGJND7G5T1.DTL)Nobody knows how a seed has life in it, but it does. God's promises are like the life inside the seed of faith.
So Jesus restored Peter. And a humbler and bolder Peter now went forth. Peter came to realize that faith doesn't quit, and it doesn't die easily. That the only real end to faith is not a death, but a goal.
In I Peter 1:9, Peter declares that we are receiving the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls. Faith doesn't stop or end or quit. When I get to Heaven, my faith will be fulfilled. But in this life the only end of my faith is the salvation of my soul. Other translations say it like this: the goal of your faith, the outcome of your faith, "the reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls."
Sometimes it looks dark. Some things we walk through are painful at the time. As followers of Jesus, we don't quit. Our faith is not as fragile as it first seemed. There is an end to our faith, but it is not something lost, it is something gained: The Message translation says it like this: "Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation."
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
My Only Best One Forever
It's a special day for me, a special day for the most important person in my life. I have told her many times, through the years, that my highest dream in life is to be a good husband to her. I have seen much of her, been married to her for half her life, and I am still learning her and I am more impressed than ever. She is a beauty and a mystery and everything that God had in mind when He put Adam to sleep. I am totally captivated.
She has a grace that she is not even aware of. She holds herself well, one would think there must be royalty in her blood. I think perhaps it is a deep awareness that she is a daughter of a King. There is a fierceness about her - about her love, about her commitments, when she decides yes there is no no. She has a gift for friendship, she knows when to weep and when to rejoice, she has a sense of timing that is uncanny. She has a gift for motherhood, loving and steering and setting boundaries and giving praise and correction in such a healthy way. Our home is peaceful and orderly and full of shouts of laughter and joy, and it is all because of her. There is healing in her hands, and life in her words, and heaven in her kiss. She is a beautiful woman in every sense of the word.
I love who she is deciding to become - full of grace and strength, exploring her own strengths and desires, setting her course by the Bright and Morning Star and sailing fearlessly forward. She is practical, and she is dreaming dreams. Casting off cares and unholy restraints, fully and freshly putting herself into the Hands of her Creator, launching forth full of faith and adventure. She is not afraid and is stronger than she suspects.
Before we were married I had a dream from Heaven, the Lord showed me a treasure map. The ocean was filled with sunken treasures, riches beyond imagination, just waiting to be brought to the surface. The man that held this map would be a very rich man indeed. I awoke and understood that the Lord was teaching me about my bride-to-be, that my job was to discover the treasure in her and bring it out. If you knew her, you would say I must have been a smashing success. Yes indeed, to date, but there is more. There is so much more. Let me be the friend that helps her become, let my love be the fire that warms her heart and lights her way, let me be the partner that brings all her hidden treasures to light.
She has a grace that she is not even aware of. She holds herself well, one would think there must be royalty in her blood. I think perhaps it is a deep awareness that she is a daughter of a King. There is a fierceness about her - about her love, about her commitments, when she decides yes there is no no. She has a gift for friendship, she knows when to weep and when to rejoice, she has a sense of timing that is uncanny. She has a gift for motherhood, loving and steering and setting boundaries and giving praise and correction in such a healthy way. Our home is peaceful and orderly and full of shouts of laughter and joy, and it is all because of her. There is healing in her hands, and life in her words, and heaven in her kiss. She is a beautiful woman in every sense of the word.
I love who she is deciding to become - full of grace and strength, exploring her own strengths and desires, setting her course by the Bright and Morning Star and sailing fearlessly forward. She is practical, and she is dreaming dreams. Casting off cares and unholy restraints, fully and freshly putting herself into the Hands of her Creator, launching forth full of faith and adventure. She is not afraid and is stronger than she suspects.
Before we were married I had a dream from Heaven, the Lord showed me a treasure map. The ocean was filled with sunken treasures, riches beyond imagination, just waiting to be brought to the surface. The man that held this map would be a very rich man indeed. I awoke and understood that the Lord was teaching me about my bride-to-be, that my job was to discover the treasure in her and bring it out. If you knew her, you would say I must have been a smashing success. Yes indeed, to date, but there is more. There is so much more. Let me be the friend that helps her become, let my love be the fire that warms her heart and lights her way, let me be the partner that brings all her hidden treasures to light.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
PS
As I read over my last entry the other day, one very significant fact jumped out at me. Or rather, did NOT jump out at me because it wasn't there.
The thread of thought was about how different types of governments handle the distribution of resources. How I began thinking about this I don't know.
Perhaps the most significant difference between the Kingdom of God Jesus taught and the various governments of men is not the way these governments distribute resources but rather who is deemed to be the owner of the resources in the first place. After all, the owner truly has the final word on how resources are used.
According to earthly governments, man is the owner. In capitalism, it is the individual. In Communism, it is the state (all the people). In dictatorial governments, it is a single individual or a small group of individuals.
According to the Bible, God is the owner. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine."
Truly there is no way to have a system that makes everyone happy. According to the Bible, the Lord does as He pleases. Thankfully, the owner is benevolent.
The thread of thought was about how different types of governments handle the distribution of resources. How I began thinking about this I don't know.
Perhaps the most significant difference between the Kingdom of God Jesus taught and the various governments of men is not the way these governments distribute resources but rather who is deemed to be the owner of the resources in the first place. After all, the owner truly has the final word on how resources are used.
According to earthly governments, man is the owner. In capitalism, it is the individual. In Communism, it is the state (all the people). In dictatorial governments, it is a single individual or a small group of individuals.
According to the Bible, God is the owner. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine."
Truly there is no way to have a system that makes everyone happy. According to the Bible, the Lord does as He pleases. Thankfully, the owner is benevolent.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Good morning Sunshine
This morning is different from most recent mornings - it's wet outside. While parts of the country have been dealing with floods, there are drought conditions in much of the South. At my house it started last evening with a few very large drops. You could almost hear a loud "Splat!" with each drop, and you could almost hear the space between the drops. I am very thankful for the rain, our crepe myrtles were looking droopy and smaller plants were getting stressed. We have water restrictions. The city of Charlotte asked all residents to conserve water, then said that since folks were using less water there was not enough revenue and promptly raised water rates. (Since this isn't a rant n rave blog I'll leave that topic to someone else but must say there is some good material there for that sort of thing. Thank God the government is not involved in the distribution of oxygen!)
So I suppose this morning somehow my mind is on the distribution of things - how water and air and other resources are distributed. If you were in charge of distributing resources, how would you do it? Human nature being what it is, I see no chance of a system that would make everyone happy. Man has tried numerous systems to distribute or redistribute resources. Our country espouses the free market system, with the role of government (as I understand it) being chiefly to see that participants are provided an equal footing and fair chance to participate, and to provide some sort of safety net to keep things from getting too crazy in the process.
I'm painting with a very broad brush here, but am only halfway through my first cup of coffee so bear with me.
In other systems the government has a much more active role - not only setting the rules which participants must observe (then enforcing the rules) but governing to a certain extent the results. At one end of that spectrum is Communism, where (as I understand it) the government's role is to actually own the resources and give or take away whatever amount is deemed necessary to make sure each participant ends up with a more or less equal share of resources. Or perhaps more accurately, whatever share of resources the government determines each person or group should have. Kind of a paternal model where the government takes care of you. At the other end of that spectrum are governments like Saddam Hussein, who establish the rules and enforce the rules (like both democracy and Communism), determine the results (like Communism), but in addition the government itself is the primary beneficiary of the results, with the poeple simply the means of supporting and elevating the government.
I have never thoroughly studied government or political theory and am sure I have oversimplified and missed some very important points. Just wait, it gets worse. Say a little boy has a shiny rock and his friend has a turtle. Under Communism, the government owns both the rock and the turtle and will give ,or withhold, all these resources as best serves the group or state. Under democracy, the government makes sure that neither boy steals from the other and allows the boy to enjoy his shiny rock, or to trade it for the turtle, or to partner together to share his rock and play with the turtle too. Under the warlord type governments, the government takes from both boys, trades the shiny rock for guns to maintain power and eats turtle soup.
Of all the governments of man, democracy seems better able to provide incentives for both individuals and the entire people to experience peace and productivity.
But there is another type of government. Its focus is not on the resources at all, it's focus is on the people, or rather the person. Jesus introduced a new kind of governement, a government of the heart. He taught (as I understand it) that each person should participate respectfully in whatever form of human government he found himself in, but ultimately should be ruled by love. To share your food with him who is hungry, to share your coat with him who is cold. Not some government taking your food away to give to someone else, not some government letting you off scott-free for ignoring the starving. A government that demands the most and enforces the least, allowing each individual to choose their own results by choosing their actions and attitudes.
No wonder Jesus told so many stories and parables about what the Kingdom of God is like, I would never understand something so simple otherwise. His government is understood and followed not so much with the head as with the heart. I am learning to be governed by You.
So I suppose this morning somehow my mind is on the distribution of things - how water and air and other resources are distributed. If you were in charge of distributing resources, how would you do it? Human nature being what it is, I see no chance of a system that would make everyone happy. Man has tried numerous systems to distribute or redistribute resources. Our country espouses the free market system, with the role of government (as I understand it) being chiefly to see that participants are provided an equal footing and fair chance to participate, and to provide some sort of safety net to keep things from getting too crazy in the process.
I'm painting with a very broad brush here, but am only halfway through my first cup of coffee so bear with me.
In other systems the government has a much more active role - not only setting the rules which participants must observe (then enforcing the rules) but governing to a certain extent the results. At one end of that spectrum is Communism, where (as I understand it) the government's role is to actually own the resources and give or take away whatever amount is deemed necessary to make sure each participant ends up with a more or less equal share of resources. Or perhaps more accurately, whatever share of resources the government determines each person or group should have. Kind of a paternal model where the government takes care of you. At the other end of that spectrum are governments like Saddam Hussein, who establish the rules and enforce the rules (like both democracy and Communism), determine the results (like Communism), but in addition the government itself is the primary beneficiary of the results, with the poeple simply the means of supporting and elevating the government.
I have never thoroughly studied government or political theory and am sure I have oversimplified and missed some very important points. Just wait, it gets worse. Say a little boy has a shiny rock and his friend has a turtle. Under Communism, the government owns both the rock and the turtle and will give ,or withhold, all these resources as best serves the group or state. Under democracy, the government makes sure that neither boy steals from the other and allows the boy to enjoy his shiny rock, or to trade it for the turtle, or to partner together to share his rock and play with the turtle too. Under the warlord type governments, the government takes from both boys, trades the shiny rock for guns to maintain power and eats turtle soup.
Of all the governments of man, democracy seems better able to provide incentives for both individuals and the entire people to experience peace and productivity.
But there is another type of government. Its focus is not on the resources at all, it's focus is on the people, or rather the person. Jesus introduced a new kind of governement, a government of the heart. He taught (as I understand it) that each person should participate respectfully in whatever form of human government he found himself in, but ultimately should be ruled by love. To share your food with him who is hungry, to share your coat with him who is cold. Not some government taking your food away to give to someone else, not some government letting you off scott-free for ignoring the starving. A government that demands the most and enforces the least, allowing each individual to choose their own results by choosing their actions and attitudes.
No wonder Jesus told so many stories and parables about what the Kingdom of God is like, I would never understand something so simple otherwise. His government is understood and followed not so much with the head as with the heart. I am learning to be governed by You.
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Secret of Abundance (aka, use it or lose it)
"How do I get abundance?" That seems to be a question we would all like the answer to. To have abundance is to have all your needs met and then some. Some would use abundance selfishly, some unselfishly. That fact in and of itself does not render abundance either good or bad. People can choose to be either generous or selfish whether their state is abundance or lack. Jesus said it is better to give than to receive. In my experience, having the ability to givd is better than being in the place of needing help. Also in my experience, giving results in joy while receiving results in happiness. There is a difference.
In Matthew 25, Jesus' shared the secret of abundance. It is amazing to me when I see things like this in the Word of God, why these must be secrets I'm still not sure, since they are written down and freely available to everyone.
Ready? Here is how to get abundance (according to Jesus): first you have, then you get more. The secret of abundance is to get more. Profound, I know. But the hard part seems to be getting some in the first place, right? Like the old joke about making a million dollars in the stock market? Start off with 2 million.
In Matt. 25:29, Jesus said "Everyone who has will be given more, and he will have abundance." While recently reading these words again, the word everyone seemed to jump off the page at me. EVERYONE. If you have, you will be given more. No exceptions noted - everyone.
Going on, everyone who does NOT have, even what he has will be taken away. (Question: How can they take away what you do not have? Answer: they cannot).
It is not so much a matter of what we have- inheritance from our family, talent we were born with, our last name, etc. And it is not so much a matter of the reasons why we cannot - lack of inheritance from our family, others being more talented, our last name, etc. What matters is what we have, and our attitude to what we have, and what we decide to do with it.
We've all heard the saying "Use it or lose it." According to Jesus, it's true after all. Everyone who has will be given more, and she will have an abundance. And to those who do not have (or choose not to use what they have) it will be taken away. I'm going to use my prayer language, and my body, and my money, and my confession, and my will, and my place of authority in my family and my workplace, and this little blog, to lift Jesus up and seek His will and His Kingdom. I want to hear Him say "Well done. Come and enter into the joy of your master." Don't know a better definition of abundance than that.
In Matthew 25, Jesus' shared the secret of abundance. It is amazing to me when I see things like this in the Word of God, why these must be secrets I'm still not sure, since they are written down and freely available to everyone.
Ready? Here is how to get abundance (according to Jesus): first you have, then you get more. The secret of abundance is to get more. Profound, I know. But the hard part seems to be getting some in the first place, right? Like the old joke about making a million dollars in the stock market? Start off with 2 million.
In Matt. 25:29, Jesus said "Everyone who has will be given more, and he will have abundance." While recently reading these words again, the word everyone seemed to jump off the page at me. EVERYONE. If you have, you will be given more. No exceptions noted - everyone.
Going on, everyone who does NOT have, even what he has will be taken away. (Question: How can they take away what you do not have? Answer: they cannot).
It is not so much a matter of what we have- inheritance from our family, talent we were born with, our last name, etc. And it is not so much a matter of the reasons why we cannot - lack of inheritance from our family, others being more talented, our last name, etc. What matters is what we have, and our attitude to what we have, and what we decide to do with it.
We've all heard the saying "Use it or lose it." According to Jesus, it's true after all. Everyone who has will be given more, and she will have an abundance. And to those who do not have (or choose not to use what they have) it will be taken away. I'm going to use my prayer language, and my body, and my money, and my confession, and my will, and my place of authority in my family and my workplace, and this little blog, to lift Jesus up and seek His will and His Kingdom. I want to hear Him say "Well done. Come and enter into the joy of your master." Don't know a better definition of abundance than that.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Stop asking, start worshipping
Got an e-mail yesterday from a friend.
She has a lot going on, like most everyone I know.
She said the Holy Spirit had spoken to her heart:
"Stop asking, start worshipping."
Sounds like something He'd say.
Think I'm gonna try it myself.
She has a lot going on, like most everyone I know.
She said the Holy Spirit had spoken to her heart:
"Stop asking, start worshipping."
Sounds like something He'd say.
Think I'm gonna try it myself.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Out of the mouth of babes
The other night, as I was putting my almost 3 year old Jack in bed, he noticed a necklace I recently started wearing. "What is that?" he asked, so I took it out of my shirt to show him.
How do we keep our love for the Lord fresh & new? I have been a Christian for 32 years. Over that course of time I have experienced mountaintops and valleys, floods of glory and dry times, times when the sweet presence of the Lord brought tears and times I was so numb I felt nothing at all. Jesus promised "I will never leave you or forsake you," and He never has.
Jesus told the believers in Ephesus, I have seen all your hard work and your commitment to me and to the truth. But you have left your first love. Many years ago the Lord spoke to me from these words in Rev. 2 and showed me how to keep my love for Him fresh and alive. 3 simple steps - remember the height from which you have fallen, repent, and do the things you did at first.
The New Testatment teaches that God has seated us with Him in heavenly places. If we are not depending totally upon Him and His grace, we have fallen from a great height indeed! Step 2- repent. Religion has tried to hijack the word. Its power is in its simplicity - to turn around, to make a change. Step 3- Do the things you did at first.
What did you do at first, when you first truly started living by faith? I became radical for Jesus. I burned music, books, and anything else in my life that did not lift Jesus up. I changed the way I looked, the places I went, and the people I hung out with. The change was so noticeable I was interviewed by my hometown newspaper. In my enthusiasm to tell the world how much Jesus had changed my life I admitted in print to a few things that I afterwards realized the police might want to discuss with me (fortunately, they never followed up on it). Today, there are no books in my house that need to be trashed. Most of my music is praise (with some jazz & U2 in there) and most of my videos are kids videos. But it's really a matter of the heart, isn't it? I still need as much as ever to remember that it is by His grace alone. I still need to repent when I fall short of the mark, and I still need to do what the King James calls the firstdeeds.
A couple of weeks ago I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to get a cross necklace. I haven't worn any jewelry other than my wedding ring in quite a long time. But the Holy Spirit wanted to remind me about the cross. He wanted to remind me of the price Jesus paid for sin, and for me. He wanted to remind me of the promises I made to live for Him, that I am not my own but bought with a price. That my decisions are subject to His claim on my life. So I did one of my firstdeeds and started wearing a cross around my neck.
It is a manly thing, this cross made of nails. Compared to the other pieces in the jewelry case, it looked like an instrument of death. The very nice church lady that sold it to me smiled sweetly and asked "You aren't going to hurt anybody with this are you?" She looked shocked when I replied that I expected to use it in a crucifixion. (My wife punched me in the shoulder even though she knew what I meant.)
It was this cross of nails that my little Jack noticed. So I took it out and told him it is called a cross. He gazed at it a long time then asked, "What does a cross mean?" I have a bachelor's degree in theology, but I didn't need it to answer one of the the most profound and important questions Jack will ever ask. I looked him in the eye and said "It means God loves us." He gazed at it some more before declaring sleepily "It's beautiful."
Jack, my son, I couldn't agree more.
How do we keep our love for the Lord fresh & new? I have been a Christian for 32 years. Over that course of time I have experienced mountaintops and valleys, floods of glory and dry times, times when the sweet presence of the Lord brought tears and times I was so numb I felt nothing at all. Jesus promised "I will never leave you or forsake you," and He never has.
Jesus told the believers in Ephesus, I have seen all your hard work and your commitment to me and to the truth. But you have left your first love. Many years ago the Lord spoke to me from these words in Rev. 2 and showed me how to keep my love for Him fresh and alive. 3 simple steps - remember the height from which you have fallen, repent, and do the things you did at first.
The New Testatment teaches that God has seated us with Him in heavenly places. If we are not depending totally upon Him and His grace, we have fallen from a great height indeed! Step 2- repent. Religion has tried to hijack the word. Its power is in its simplicity - to turn around, to make a change. Step 3- Do the things you did at first.
What did you do at first, when you first truly started living by faith? I became radical for Jesus. I burned music, books, and anything else in my life that did not lift Jesus up. I changed the way I looked, the places I went, and the people I hung out with. The change was so noticeable I was interviewed by my hometown newspaper. In my enthusiasm to tell the world how much Jesus had changed my life I admitted in print to a few things that I afterwards realized the police might want to discuss with me (fortunately, they never followed up on it). Today, there are no books in my house that need to be trashed. Most of my music is praise (with some jazz & U2 in there) and most of my videos are kids videos. But it's really a matter of the heart, isn't it? I still need as much as ever to remember that it is by His grace alone. I still need to repent when I fall short of the mark, and I still need to do what the King James calls the firstdeeds.
A couple of weeks ago I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to get a cross necklace. I haven't worn any jewelry other than my wedding ring in quite a long time. But the Holy Spirit wanted to remind me about the cross. He wanted to remind me of the price Jesus paid for sin, and for me. He wanted to remind me of the promises I made to live for Him, that I am not my own but bought with a price. That my decisions are subject to His claim on my life. So I did one of my firstdeeds and started wearing a cross around my neck.
It is a manly thing, this cross made of nails. Compared to the other pieces in the jewelry case, it looked like an instrument of death. The very nice church lady that sold it to me smiled sweetly and asked "You aren't going to hurt anybody with this are you?" She looked shocked when I replied that I expected to use it in a crucifixion. (My wife punched me in the shoulder even though she knew what I meant.)
It was this cross of nails that my little Jack noticed. So I took it out and told him it is called a cross. He gazed at it a long time then asked, "What does a cross mean?" I have a bachelor's degree in theology, but I didn't need it to answer one of the the most profound and important questions Jack will ever ask. I looked him in the eye and said "It means God loves us." He gazed at it some more before declaring sleepily "It's beautiful."
Jack, my son, I couldn't agree more.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Hope O2
Have you thought about breathing today? I haven't, until the last few minutes. An adult inhales and exhales, on average, about 23,000 times per day. It could be much, much more, depending upon your level of physical activity and other factors. Think about that. You did something 23,000 times today and probably never once gave a conscious thought to it. 16 times per minute, each and every minute, waking and sleeping, working, playing, running, eating, over and over and over again.
Most of the time we do not think about oxygen. It simply is. It is available. We breathe because we are alive, that's how we roll. Most days, the only time we think about breathing is when we're trying not to. I'm holding my breath while writing this sentence, and in the course of a few short seconds am reminded that, althought I don't usually give it a second thought, oxygen is one of the most important things in my life. (Ahhh, deep breath here...) I need it. I want it. I require it. Sound silly? Hold your breath for a minute or two, then agree with me.
Hope is like oxygen. It breathes life into us. Hope is extremely powerful. Most of the time we don't even acknowledge it or think about it. Hope is what keeps us going. Hope is to the soul and spirit what oxygen is to the body. We need it. We want it. We require it.
Tonight I spent a long time on the phone with a close friend who lives far away. He and his family are walking through some very challenging circumstances. I had a few things to say that may be helpful to him, and some tax advice that will prove practical and useful. But by far the most valuable thing that I believe I shared with my friend was hope. Hope that things will get better, hope that it won't always be like this. He already knows that, and has in fact helped many, many others (including me) in times of need. But when things are dark and you feel all alone, it's like holding your breath under water. You seriously need some O2. My friend seriously needed a deep breath of hope, and I believe he got it. Lord, I pray for Todd, may Holy Spirit-inspired hope bring him strength and new life. And I pray for everyone who may read this. Thank you that the Bible says you have given us a living hope. Hope that is, in and of itself, alive. Hope will grow, it will produce fruit (i.e., results) in our lives.
Heavenly Father, I breathe deeply your living hope. Renew in us the expectation that we will see all your promises fulfilled.
Most of the time we do not think about oxygen. It simply is. It is available. We breathe because we are alive, that's how we roll. Most days, the only time we think about breathing is when we're trying not to. I'm holding my breath while writing this sentence, and in the course of a few short seconds am reminded that, althought I don't usually give it a second thought, oxygen is one of the most important things in my life. (Ahhh, deep breath here...) I need it. I want it. I require it. Sound silly? Hold your breath for a minute or two, then agree with me.
Hope is like oxygen. It breathes life into us. Hope is extremely powerful. Most of the time we don't even acknowledge it or think about it. Hope is what keeps us going. Hope is to the soul and spirit what oxygen is to the body. We need it. We want it. We require it.
Tonight I spent a long time on the phone with a close friend who lives far away. He and his family are walking through some very challenging circumstances. I had a few things to say that may be helpful to him, and some tax advice that will prove practical and useful. But by far the most valuable thing that I believe I shared with my friend was hope. Hope that things will get better, hope that it won't always be like this. He already knows that, and has in fact helped many, many others (including me) in times of need. But when things are dark and you feel all alone, it's like holding your breath under water. You seriously need some O2. My friend seriously needed a deep breath of hope, and I believe he got it. Lord, I pray for Todd, may Holy Spirit-inspired hope bring him strength and new life. And I pray for everyone who may read this. Thank you that the Bible says you have given us a living hope. Hope that is, in and of itself, alive. Hope will grow, it will produce fruit (i.e., results) in our lives.
Heavenly Father, I breathe deeply your living hope. Renew in us the expectation that we will see all your promises fulfilled.
Monday, March 17, 2008
a recreation on another plane
"Art is both love and friendship and understanding: the desire to give. It is not charity, which is the giving of things. It is more than kindness, which is the giving of self. It is both the taking and giving of beauty, the turning out to the light of the inner folds of the awareness of the spirit. It is a recreation on another plane of the realities of the world; the tragic and wonderful realities of earth and men, and of all the interrelations of these."
Ansel Adams
I have always loved the photography of Ansel Adams (some nice examples here). Last fall I had the opportunity to share some of those wild places with my father, and my brother and sister. Even at the time I knew it was one of the moments that birth the memories that will one day tell the story of my life. I have not been to many wild places, but I have loved all the ones I have visisted and felt a kinship with them that I could not explain or express.
There are wild places in the heart, places that are pure and reflective of the beauty of creation. There are places inside you that have yet to be tamed, wild and free and ever-young, where the wind blows cold and smells like the snow, where the warmth of your smile is like the kiss of the sun, where dreams are born and the future flows forth like water from a natural spring.
You and I are the work of a Creator, an insult to be termed a mere man or woman. Sometimes our hearts can be too civilized. Concrete does a good job of keeping the bottom of our shoes clean, but shoes were made to be worn, not be be cared for. There are paths of concrete in my heart, civilized places that are neat and straight, clean and predictable. Concrete can be fashioned but sets hard. In rare and precious moments I also see the places in my heart that are wild and pure, the work of a Creator who's medium is not concrete but rather living stones. A glimpse of creation tells me something about the artist. As C.S. Lewis said: "He's not a tame lion."
Somehow Ansel Adams was gifted to capture on film the wildness and awe, not only of the places he visited, but of his own heart's response to the beauty displayed. In a letter to his friend Cedric Wright he talked about art and love and beauty. This phrase particularly captured my attention: " a recreation on another plane of the realities of the world."
My Father is a Creator. We are created in His image. No wonder then that all our best points to Him, our desires and longings, if truly understood, all for Him, our highest and best efforts simply an imitation of His handiwork, a recreation on another plane. We are simply trying to be like Him, and I don't see that as a bad thing at all. My son wants to be like me, and I love him for it. I want to be like my Father. The wild places of the earth point me to Him, the wild places of my own heart show me the fingerprints of God.
Ansel Adams
I have always loved the photography of Ansel Adams (some nice examples here). Last fall I had the opportunity to share some of those wild places with my father, and my brother and sister. Even at the time I knew it was one of the moments that birth the memories that will one day tell the story of my life. I have not been to many wild places, but I have loved all the ones I have visisted and felt a kinship with them that I could not explain or express.
There are wild places in the heart, places that are pure and reflective of the beauty of creation. There are places inside you that have yet to be tamed, wild and free and ever-young, where the wind blows cold and smells like the snow, where the warmth of your smile is like the kiss of the sun, where dreams are born and the future flows forth like water from a natural spring.
You and I are the work of a Creator, an insult to be termed a mere man or woman. Sometimes our hearts can be too civilized. Concrete does a good job of keeping the bottom of our shoes clean, but shoes were made to be worn, not be be cared for. There are paths of concrete in my heart, civilized places that are neat and straight, clean and predictable. Concrete can be fashioned but sets hard. In rare and precious moments I also see the places in my heart that are wild and pure, the work of a Creator who's medium is not concrete but rather living stones. A glimpse of creation tells me something about the artist. As C.S. Lewis said: "He's not a tame lion."
Somehow Ansel Adams was gifted to capture on film the wildness and awe, not only of the places he visited, but of his own heart's response to the beauty displayed. In a letter to his friend Cedric Wright he talked about art and love and beauty. This phrase particularly captured my attention: " a recreation on another plane of the realities of the world."
My Father is a Creator. We are created in His image. No wonder then that all our best points to Him, our desires and longings, if truly understood, all for Him, our highest and best efforts simply an imitation of His handiwork, a recreation on another plane. We are simply trying to be like Him, and I don't see that as a bad thing at all. My son wants to be like me, and I love him for it. I want to be like my Father. The wild places of the earth point me to Him, the wild places of my own heart show me the fingerprints of God.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Too busy to blog...
You know the old saying. "If you 're too busy to blog, then you're too busy." That has been me for the last weeks. This tax season has been more relaxed than all but one for the last thousand years. Oops, make that since the last millenium. I started working as a CPA in 1999, and tax season always requires a lot. A lot of time, a lot of energy, a lot of thought, a lot of grace from my wife. This one has been less demanding than most, but that is not to say relaxed. Kind of like saying running a 10k is easier than running a marathon.
I hope you have a great tax season. If you do your own taxes, that should be an evening or two. If you have someone else do them for you, you still have to get your information together and review the return (after all, you know more about your financial situation than anyone else). So it will still be a few hours long.
I have quite a few more thoughts on this subject, but right now I also have a number of friends, family, and clients who have entrusted me with their personal financial information and are hoping I can help them have the best tax season they've ever had. So back to the 1040s and 1120Ss and 1065s and supporting schedules. I've got more to say, but right now I'm too busy to blog.
I hope you have a great tax season. If you do your own taxes, that should be an evening or two. If you have someone else do them for you, you still have to get your information together and review the return (after all, you know more about your financial situation than anyone else). So it will still be a few hours long.
I have quite a few more thoughts on this subject, but right now I also have a number of friends, family, and clients who have entrusted me with their personal financial information and are hoping I can help them have the best tax season they've ever had. So back to the 1040s and 1120Ss and 1065s and supporting schedules. I've got more to say, but right now I'm too busy to blog.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Morning Musing
Just like old times, as far as my blog is concerned. When you're alone, your house can be a different place. You notice things that you don't notice when there is lots of activity. Silence, for one. 5AM. The house is quiet and peaceful, the coffee strong and black. Sometimes I take cream and sugar, a compromise to my masculine identity I allowed after being married for a month or so and realizing my wife's coffee tasted better with dessert than mine did. Occasionally I use only cream, like my German friend Dieter. (I don't know if that's a German thing or not, maybe it's just how Dieter likes it.) The only time I use only sugar is when I'm camping- the cream is too much trouble, sugar such a luxury in the woods.
Well, Jack's awake, so this little session was over before it started. Let me just catch this one thought- as I woke up my heart was praying. I sense the Lord's presence, I am thankful. Words of gratitude, words of wonder. A prayer for forgiveness, I have insulted you in so many ways. A still small voice in my heart, "Has your son ever insulted you?" No, I've never really thought about it like that, but he hasn't . Has he ever ignored you? Yes. Has he ever taken you for granted? In the adult sense of the word, that happens daily. But he's only 2. How can he take me for granted? I mean, it is a granted that I will provide for everything he needs. I'm his father. At this point he doesn't even have the ability to insult me.
The light bulb goes on (I just woke up so my brain is still getting in gear). My Father loves me! He's not mad. Once again I am surprised by grace. (For more on this wonder, listen to the latest and greatest from Pastor D at http://www.branchchurch.org/)
I know some things about the heart of a Father. My Father once again has shared with me the wonder of His love. Now it's time to share this wonder with my son.
Well, Jack's awake, so this little session was over before it started. Let me just catch this one thought- as I woke up my heart was praying. I sense the Lord's presence, I am thankful. Words of gratitude, words of wonder. A prayer for forgiveness, I have insulted you in so many ways. A still small voice in my heart, "Has your son ever insulted you?" No, I've never really thought about it like that, but he hasn't . Has he ever ignored you? Yes. Has he ever taken you for granted? In the adult sense of the word, that happens daily. But he's only 2. How can he take me for granted? I mean, it is a granted that I will provide for everything he needs. I'm his father. At this point he doesn't even have the ability to insult me.
The light bulb goes on (I just woke up so my brain is still getting in gear). My Father loves me! He's not mad. Once again I am surprised by grace. (For more on this wonder, listen to the latest and greatest from Pastor D at http://www.branchchurch.org/)
I know some things about the heart of a Father. My Father once again has shared with me the wonder of His love. Now it's time to share this wonder with my son.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
It just sounds better when you're inspired
I am in love with my beloved. If I wasn't, she wouldn't be my beloved, would she? As evidenced by these first 2 sentences, early morning is probably not the best time for creative romantic expression. If you're an accountant, having a mike in your hand isn't either. No matter how much you are in love, it just sounds better when you're inspired.
Last night we attended the Valentines Dinner for the Branch Family Church. It was great food and great fun. We made some new friends and got to know old friends better as each couple at our table shared stories of how they had met, fallen in love, or favorite memories.
At the end of the evening Pastor John opened the mike for the men to publicly share their love and affection for their wife, aka, to embarass yourself in front of a room full of supportive people. There was a lot of laughter, and it was really encouraging to hear the depth of love and commitment that was expressed. One man had been married 4 months, another 52 years. One thing came through loud and clear: God knew what He was doing when He made Eve. These guys spoke from the depths of their hearts, valiantly looking to translate into English what the heart speaks in the language of love.
(Another thing I learned last night: there are no words in Russian for bar-b-que or ATV. Inside joke).
For my own part, I had been to these before. Before we left the house I looked into my wife's eyes and did my best to say again what I've tried to say at least a million times before: I need you, I want you, I respect you, I love you. I've never really been able to fully articulate it, I mean I can (and do) say the words but words don't do it justice. It's like trying to carry the ocean in a bucket- the container isn't adequate. Of course I was called upon to go forward, my machinations otherwise to no avail. I shared my love and embarrassed myself and had fun. What I wanted to say went something like this: "Honey, I love you. Remember those hundreds of poems and love letters from me that you have saved in your dresser? Please read a couple of those tonight. They are still all true and more, but it just sounds better when you're inspired."
Of course, she knows. She knows what I mean, and she knows that English isn't sufficient to say it. She knows because we have become one. We have something special and we know it, and we are very very thankful. The only way to really say something like that is in the cumulative effect of a thousand million ways, large and small, words and deeds, looks and touches and sacrifices and surprises and laughter and forgiveness given and forgiveness received, love expressed consistently and over a lifetime together.
You have to say it with your life. But if you try to write it down, or try to say it into the mike, it just sounds better when you're inspired.
Last night we attended the Valentines Dinner for the Branch Family Church. It was great food and great fun. We made some new friends and got to know old friends better as each couple at our table shared stories of how they had met, fallen in love, or favorite memories.
At the end of the evening Pastor John opened the mike for the men to publicly share their love and affection for their wife, aka, to embarass yourself in front of a room full of supportive people. There was a lot of laughter, and it was really encouraging to hear the depth of love and commitment that was expressed. One man had been married 4 months, another 52 years. One thing came through loud and clear: God knew what He was doing when He made Eve. These guys spoke from the depths of their hearts, valiantly looking to translate into English what the heart speaks in the language of love.
(Another thing I learned last night: there are no words in Russian for bar-b-que or ATV. Inside joke).
For my own part, I had been to these before. Before we left the house I looked into my wife's eyes and did my best to say again what I've tried to say at least a million times before: I need you, I want you, I respect you, I love you. I've never really been able to fully articulate it, I mean I can (and do) say the words but words don't do it justice. It's like trying to carry the ocean in a bucket- the container isn't adequate. Of course I was called upon to go forward, my machinations otherwise to no avail. I shared my love and embarrassed myself and had fun. What I wanted to say went something like this: "Honey, I love you. Remember those hundreds of poems and love letters from me that you have saved in your dresser? Please read a couple of those tonight. They are still all true and more, but it just sounds better when you're inspired."
Of course, she knows. She knows what I mean, and she knows that English isn't sufficient to say it. She knows because we have become one. We have something special and we know it, and we are very very thankful. The only way to really say something like that is in the cumulative effect of a thousand million ways, large and small, words and deeds, looks and touches and sacrifices and surprises and laughter and forgiveness given and forgiveness received, love expressed consistently and over a lifetime together.
You have to say it with your life. But if you try to write it down, or try to say it into the mike, it just sounds better when you're inspired.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The Wonderful Magic of Kidness
Our snowy weather has gotten me to thinking lately about being a kid. Not that it has been that snowy, but I have been telling my children stories of when I was their age.
One favorite winter activity was to drive up to Soco, the mountain pass between Maggie Valley and Cherokee, to the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway there. With a foot of snow on the ground the big iron gate to the parkway was always closed and locked with a federal government sized padlock, but you could park the car on the side road and walk past the gate. (Why does it seem like the best spots are always just on the other side of the gate?)
Just past the gate there is a very steep section of the hill that somehow has an alley with no trees. Its not very wide. There would be no steering of your sled on a hill like this, it's way too steep. At the bottom of this hill, the engineers sloped the ground down and away from the road to drain water. So at the bottom of this straight, incredibly steep hill is a short incline back up to the paved road. During most of the year, there is nothing about this spot to attract any attention. But with a foot and a half of snow on the ground, this spot is revealed as the best naturally occurring Ski Jump on earth.
We never took sleds to Soco, somehow they were too civilized for that wild place. Or maybe it was the fact that they probably would not have survived the ordeal. We would take inner tubes, walk up the hill as high as we dared, then try not to think about the bottom. You just have to jump on your inner tube and hang on for dear life. Sliding down is a blur, you can almost feel your stomach in your throat. At the bottom of the hill, you go airborn. If you're lucky, you land on your inner tube. As often as not, you land in the snow. I can still picture my friend Mark about 6 feet in the air on one particularly fast run. It took us a little while to revive him, but he was famous after that.
Mark and I still reminisce about that day when we get together. We talk about his famous slide down the Ski Jump, and we talk about the magic of being a kid. I'm going to hold on to this magic as tightly as my innertube, this wonderful magic of kidness.
One favorite winter activity was to drive up to Soco, the mountain pass between Maggie Valley and Cherokee, to the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway there. With a foot of snow on the ground the big iron gate to the parkway was always closed and locked with a federal government sized padlock, but you could park the car on the side road and walk past the gate. (Why does it seem like the best spots are always just on the other side of the gate?)
Just past the gate there is a very steep section of the hill that somehow has an alley with no trees. Its not very wide. There would be no steering of your sled on a hill like this, it's way too steep. At the bottom of this hill, the engineers sloped the ground down and away from the road to drain water. So at the bottom of this straight, incredibly steep hill is a short incline back up to the paved road. During most of the year, there is nothing about this spot to attract any attention. But with a foot and a half of snow on the ground, this spot is revealed as the best naturally occurring Ski Jump on earth.
We never took sleds to Soco, somehow they were too civilized for that wild place. Or maybe it was the fact that they probably would not have survived the ordeal. We would take inner tubes, walk up the hill as high as we dared, then try not to think about the bottom. You just have to jump on your inner tube and hang on for dear life. Sliding down is a blur, you can almost feel your stomach in your throat. At the bottom of the hill, you go airborn. If you're lucky, you land on your inner tube. As often as not, you land in the snow. I can still picture my friend Mark about 6 feet in the air on one particularly fast run. It took us a little while to revive him, but he was famous after that.
Mark and I still reminisce about that day when we get together. We talk about his famous slide down the Ski Jump, and we talk about the magic of being a kid. I'm going to hold on to this magic as tightly as my innertube, this wonderful magic of kidness.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Snow Day!
This morning Charlotte is white and the world seems magic. Schools are closed and the snowman population is about to explode.
Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? I remember one year when it was so snowy and icy that we didn't go to school at all in January. Seems like every winter my grandparent's mountain resort transformed into our own personal sledding paradise. It was a fast downhill slide for 10 acres. We'd start at the top of the paved road in front of cottage #11 (which somehow was built further up the mountain than #12) and zip through the twists and turns until the hill in front of #7 transformed your sled into a rocket. With that kind of speed a lot of kids wiped out trying to make the right bend in front of #1. If you navigated that then the very last turn before the house required some quick decisions. If you were going too fast you would slide into the creek (which happened a lot). If you slowed down too much you would make the turn but not get the longest distance. Then it was a very long walk back to the top, pulling your sled and breathing steam like a locomotive. One night we had a dozen cousins and friends there and snow was flying. Gramma had hot chocolate waiting on the back porch, after you made the run you could take your hot chocolate and watch the other kids coming down the hill, hoping they went into the creek and your slide was the longest. To top it off, Uncle Bob brought his Jeep and pulled us all back to the top! We kept going until all the moms finally shut us down. If wishes came true, I would probably still be there sledding right now.
Of course, I would have missed out on all the good things that have happened in my life since then. God's plan for me was to enjoy the sledding and the fun, it was not for me to get stuck trying to hold onto that moment. Sometimes we want to hold on to it, but it can never be. Snow melts, days pass, seasons change.
Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Now get out there and play in the snow!
Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? I remember one year when it was so snowy and icy that we didn't go to school at all in January. Seems like every winter my grandparent's mountain resort transformed into our own personal sledding paradise. It was a fast downhill slide for 10 acres. We'd start at the top of the paved road in front of cottage #11 (which somehow was built further up the mountain than #12) and zip through the twists and turns until the hill in front of #7 transformed your sled into a rocket. With that kind of speed a lot of kids wiped out trying to make the right bend in front of #1. If you navigated that then the very last turn before the house required some quick decisions. If you were going too fast you would slide into the creek (which happened a lot). If you slowed down too much you would make the turn but not get the longest distance. Then it was a very long walk back to the top, pulling your sled and breathing steam like a locomotive. One night we had a dozen cousins and friends there and snow was flying. Gramma had hot chocolate waiting on the back porch, after you made the run you could take your hot chocolate and watch the other kids coming down the hill, hoping they went into the creek and your slide was the longest. To top it off, Uncle Bob brought his Jeep and pulled us all back to the top! We kept going until all the moms finally shut us down. If wishes came true, I would probably still be there sledding right now.
Of course, I would have missed out on all the good things that have happened in my life since then. God's plan for me was to enjoy the sledding and the fun, it was not for me to get stuck trying to hold onto that moment. Sometimes we want to hold on to it, but it can never be. Snow melts, days pass, seasons change.
Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Now get out there and play in the snow!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Dreamin'
What are you dreaming of? I mean, if money was no object, where would you be right now? If you won the lottery (if you would never ever buy a ticket (like me) then imagine someone like your uncle gave you a winning ticket!) would you call into work and tell them bye? A lot of folks would do just that.
I don't think I would. That's not the only reason I'm there. I mean, I do need to get paid at this point in my life so it makes sense to do my best for my employer. But that is not the only reason I'm there, and to tell the truth I'm not really working for him. I'm working for Jesus, and I'm doing the work he directed me to do at the place He told me to do it. How do I know that? Because I asked Him to direct my life and I believe He is doing just that. So I'm not there just because of the money. I have a dream, it will continue growing beyond where I am just now but I believe where I am just now is an important part of it.
And your real dream is not just about work. It's about who you are. Abram had a dream to be the father of many nations. His God-given dream was not about his profession, it was about him. Joseph had a dream, it was not about his job, it was about who he would become. Moses had a dream, a picture of what God hoped for him. It was not about gaining a place of high privilege (he was already about as high in the world as he could go), it was about becoming someone of weight and substance and gravity. If Moses had focused on enjoying everything the world had to offer, he would have done so and his name would have passed into ignominy upon his death. As it is, we're still talking about him millennia later.
What's your dream? Who do you want to be? Do you ever think about it? Sometimes the days are so filled with appointments and bills and to do lists and phone calls that we forget there is something miraculous happening in us and through us. When you get interrupted from your interruptions, it's time to find a place to let your mind free-wheel for a while. One day last week, after the rush (or should I say crush) of the holidays, I was at home all by myself for several hours. I laid on my back on my bed and looked up at the ceiling and let my mind go free. I thought about all kinds of stuff, very stream of consciousness-like. After about 30 minutes I finally smiled. Then I got up and went to work around the house and enjoyed it.
When a baby is born, he or she will go through some definite and distinct stages of growth. Predictable stages. Learning how to walk and talk. Feeding yourself. Potty training. Socialization. There are predictable stages in church growth. There are predictable stages in seeing your dream become reality. I do not know what those stages are for a dream to become real, but I can tell you this. I am going to learn them. Then I am going to do them. Then I'm going to help other people walk them out. How do I know? Because it's part of my dream.
I don't think I would. That's not the only reason I'm there. I mean, I do need to get paid at this point in my life so it makes sense to do my best for my employer. But that is not the only reason I'm there, and to tell the truth I'm not really working for him. I'm working for Jesus, and I'm doing the work he directed me to do at the place He told me to do it. How do I know that? Because I asked Him to direct my life and I believe He is doing just that. So I'm not there just because of the money. I have a dream, it will continue growing beyond where I am just now but I believe where I am just now is an important part of it.
And your real dream is not just about work. It's about who you are. Abram had a dream to be the father of many nations. His God-given dream was not about his profession, it was about him. Joseph had a dream, it was not about his job, it was about who he would become. Moses had a dream, a picture of what God hoped for him. It was not about gaining a place of high privilege (he was already about as high in the world as he could go), it was about becoming someone of weight and substance and gravity. If Moses had focused on enjoying everything the world had to offer, he would have done so and his name would have passed into ignominy upon his death. As it is, we're still talking about him millennia later.
What's your dream? Who do you want to be? Do you ever think about it? Sometimes the days are so filled with appointments and bills and to do lists and phone calls that we forget there is something miraculous happening in us and through us. When you get interrupted from your interruptions, it's time to find a place to let your mind free-wheel for a while. One day last week, after the rush (or should I say crush) of the holidays, I was at home all by myself for several hours. I laid on my back on my bed and looked up at the ceiling and let my mind go free. I thought about all kinds of stuff, very stream of consciousness-like. After about 30 minutes I finally smiled. Then I got up and went to work around the house and enjoyed it.
When a baby is born, he or she will go through some definite and distinct stages of growth. Predictable stages. Learning how to walk and talk. Feeding yourself. Potty training. Socialization. There are predictable stages in church growth. There are predictable stages in seeing your dream become reality. I do not know what those stages are for a dream to become real, but I can tell you this. I am going to learn them. Then I am going to do them. Then I'm going to help other people walk them out. How do I know? Because it's part of my dream.
What you get
The holidays were exciting and busy, with lots of laughter and traveling. The mountains were cold and rainy, but we didn't seem to mind. Snow would have been the icing on the cake (white icing, I guess). We squeezed in as much time with our family as we could and came home exhausted and satisfied.
"The end of a thing is better than the beginning." I have started to write about gaining understanding and feel compelled to finish the thoughts. It's not good for the heart to leave things undone, so here is the end of the matter (this particular matter, that is).
The wisest man who ever lived laid out a four step process to gain understanding. Amazing when you think about it, that the secrets to everything should not be secrets at all, they are stated in black and white by God. Why does it take so long to understand?
In Proverbs 9:5,6, Widsom calls out and shows the steps: Come, Eat & Drink, Forsake (& Live), and then Go.
1. COME- The invitation is there, the door is open. We must choose, we must decide. The first and most important step to gain understanding is to decide to do so. Elsewhere, Proverbs says we must earnestly seek for wisdom, like a treasure. This requires humility; we must humble ourselves to admit we don't know, that we need help. The first step to gain understanding is COME- to go to the people/places where understanding is. Ultimately God, but He often uses those who have already learned. You won't gain understanding about accounting in a dance school, you have to go somewhere with a good business college. Seems too obvious? What is it you don't understand? Who does understand it? Are you reading their books? This step is the most important, because without it nothing will change. God rewards the humble.
2. EAT & DRINK- After we come to the place or person who understands, we must eat of the bread of wisdom. Not just any bread, but her bread. Not just any wine, her wine. We must take into ourselves the right thoughts, the proper thinking. We must consume the materials that give life and wisdom. and understanding. We must take into ourselves the thoughts of those who understand. Reading, listening, thinking, musing, questioning. We must digest these thoughts, we must allow them to feed our thinking. The ultimate and most important application of this is with the Word of God and our salvation. It applies to other specific areas of learning as well. You won't gain understanding of accounting without doing the math. Seems too obvious? Then what area of your life are you growing in? What free time are you devoting to moving forward? This step is the most work. God rewards the diligent.
3. FORSAKE- As I sought to understand how to gain understanding, I was not expecting this step as part of the process. I would have agreed that it was important, but a key step in gaining understanding? I was surprised, but no more, I have taken it into myself. Let it become a part of who I am and how I think and live. "Forsake foolishness and live." It is not enough to take in new thoughts, we must actively expel the old thinking. Just because we have new thoughts doesn't mean the old is automatically gone. We must reject worldly and unsuccessful thoughts, habits, patterns, reasonings, emotionalism, religion, tradition, wrong doctrine, and wishful ways. We must actively push away, reject, get rid of, dump, delete seek & destroy foolish thinking. God told Abraham in Genesis 17, Walk before me and be blameless, so that I may establish my covenant with you and multiply you exceedingly. God wants to multiply us exceedingly, but refusal to follow His ways stops the blessing. Wisdom says "forsake foolishness and live." Another way of saying that is "don't forsake foolishness and don't live." This is the most overlooked step. God rewards the obedient.
4. GO- True understanding and Godly wisdom becomes yours when you act upon it. Up until this point it is mental, internal, the battle is in the mind, it's all in your head. To truly understand, action is required. Not just comsume the thoughts of those who understand but put into practice what we have learned. GO in the way of understanding (we have already forsaken other ways). We must do, put into practice, walk in the way of understanding. Obviously, the more we do, the better we understand, we make some adjustments and do even better. Some people skip immediately to this step without doing the previous steps (i.e., work) required to truly understand. Other people think deep thoughts but never do anything about it. May we be the people who have taken understanding into our lives and live it out before others as a testimony of God's goodness to men. This is the final step. God rewards the faithful.
So these, my friends, are the steps to gain understanding. God has given us a treasure, may we use this powerful tool for His glory and our good.
"The end of a thing is better than the beginning." I have started to write about gaining understanding and feel compelled to finish the thoughts. It's not good for the heart to leave things undone, so here is the end of the matter (this particular matter, that is).
The wisest man who ever lived laid out a four step process to gain understanding. Amazing when you think about it, that the secrets to everything should not be secrets at all, they are stated in black and white by God. Why does it take so long to understand?
In Proverbs 9:5,6, Widsom calls out and shows the steps: Come, Eat & Drink, Forsake (& Live), and then Go.
1. COME- The invitation is there, the door is open. We must choose, we must decide. The first and most important step to gain understanding is to decide to do so. Elsewhere, Proverbs says we must earnestly seek for wisdom, like a treasure. This requires humility; we must humble ourselves to admit we don't know, that we need help. The first step to gain understanding is COME- to go to the people/places where understanding is. Ultimately God, but He often uses those who have already learned. You won't gain understanding about accounting in a dance school, you have to go somewhere with a good business college. Seems too obvious? What is it you don't understand? Who does understand it? Are you reading their books? This step is the most important, because without it nothing will change. God rewards the humble.
2. EAT & DRINK- After we come to the place or person who understands, we must eat of the bread of wisdom. Not just any bread, but her bread. Not just any wine, her wine. We must take into ourselves the right thoughts, the proper thinking. We must consume the materials that give life and wisdom. and understanding. We must take into ourselves the thoughts of those who understand. Reading, listening, thinking, musing, questioning. We must digest these thoughts, we must allow them to feed our thinking. The ultimate and most important application of this is with the Word of God and our salvation. It applies to other specific areas of learning as well. You won't gain understanding of accounting without doing the math. Seems too obvious? Then what area of your life are you growing in? What free time are you devoting to moving forward? This step is the most work. God rewards the diligent.
3. FORSAKE- As I sought to understand how to gain understanding, I was not expecting this step as part of the process. I would have agreed that it was important, but a key step in gaining understanding? I was surprised, but no more, I have taken it into myself. Let it become a part of who I am and how I think and live. "Forsake foolishness and live." It is not enough to take in new thoughts, we must actively expel the old thinking. Just because we have new thoughts doesn't mean the old is automatically gone. We must reject worldly and unsuccessful thoughts, habits, patterns, reasonings, emotionalism, religion, tradition, wrong doctrine, and wishful ways. We must actively push away, reject, get rid of, dump, delete seek & destroy foolish thinking. God told Abraham in Genesis 17, Walk before me and be blameless, so that I may establish my covenant with you and multiply you exceedingly. God wants to multiply us exceedingly, but refusal to follow His ways stops the blessing. Wisdom says "forsake foolishness and live." Another way of saying that is "don't forsake foolishness and don't live." This is the most overlooked step. God rewards the obedient.
4. GO- True understanding and Godly wisdom becomes yours when you act upon it. Up until this point it is mental, internal, the battle is in the mind, it's all in your head. To truly understand, action is required. Not just comsume the thoughts of those who understand but put into practice what we have learned. GO in the way of understanding (we have already forsaken other ways). We must do, put into practice, walk in the way of understanding. Obviously, the more we do, the better we understand, we make some adjustments and do even better. Some people skip immediately to this step without doing the previous steps (i.e., work) required to truly understand. Other people think deep thoughts but never do anything about it. May we be the people who have taken understanding into our lives and live it out before others as a testimony of God's goodness to men. This is the final step. God rewards the faithful.
So these, my friends, are the steps to gain understanding. God has given us a treasure, may we use this powerful tool for His glory and our good.
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