Morning Musing

FIRM PATHS

2009-11-28T14:15:00.002-05:00

How many secrets are tucked away in the Bible! The secrets of success in life are plainly stated throughout God's Word. The book of Proverbs is practical wisdom distilled. Recently I read these instructions for ordering my life for success.

What am I learning?

Guard your heart. This speaks to our desire, drive, motivation. What is the one thing I am truly pursuing right now?
Guard your tongue. Pay careful attention to speaking what is true, right, positive. What is the overall message I am broadcasting?
Guard your eyes. With the options that today's technology presents, this is more important than ever. What is the true focus of my attention?
Guard your decisions. Only take decisions that are firm. Do not walk in ways that you do not know will succeed. Once you make a good decision, stick with it. Do I make decisions hastily, or do I do the work necessary to make decisions that I know will succeed?

The context for all success is bringing honor to God. Nothing else will last; any plan or action that does not honor God will flourish temporarily at best.

Proverbs 4:20-27 (New Living Translation)

20 My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
21 Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22 for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.

23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.

24 Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.

25 Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.
27 Don’t get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.

POWER PRINCIPLES

2009-10-21T05:57:00.006-04:00

Up early today, cup of coffee and finally back to capture my thoughts here with this twenty-first century version of a personal journal. Most days my blog has been written alone, early in the morning with a quiet house. Today is mostly the same, except I have some company. Unexpectedly, our family adopted Happy (named because of how happy he seemed to be with us). According to the vet, part white German Shepherd part blond lab; according to Jack his best pal.

Recently God did some very fresh work in my heart. I am thankful. I had some work to be done that I didn't know I needed. Recently I was in a meeting. About a week before, the Lord had shown me a verse, I'll have to go back & find it, about humbling myself, then He would prepare my heart. So I began to consider that and humble myself before Him. So in this meeting a friend spoke up, a friend who is always extremely encouraging and extremely challenging at the same time. My ears heard his words, and at the same time my heart heard God speaking to me, gently correcting me.

Now, no correction at the time seems pleasant, but I must say this experience was unique. I would not say it was pleasant, being corrected, but it was not unpleasant either. Often we associate correction with the displeasure of the corrector. Maybe that was the difference - God was correcting me but I did not feel His displeasure. Like He was letting me know He was correcting me because He was pleased with me and loved me. I had had some opinions about some things, and the Lord was correcting me about the way I was using those opinions. Not so much that God told me that my conclusions were wrong, instead saying that He had not chosen me to have authority in the method or timing of implementing those conclusions. So I humbled myself further to Him and admitted to Him that I was wrong in that, that I needed His help, and asked Him to please deliver me and teach me. I sensed a new freedom in my heart and later told my friend about the good thing God had done for me.

Since then I have been enjoying this new freedom. I have also been wondering how it works. It is not right, to simply say, "God has not put me in charge of this so I will blindly accept what is decided." At this point I think it is more like understanding the sphere of my authority, and staying very firm inside that, and letting God expand that outward instead of me reaching over into someone else's.

I am beginning to understand how my mind works. It is always on (although my wife may say it shuts down at 9pm, and at other times there is evidence that my mouth was working when my brain wasn't) and always looking for patterns. That is how my brain works, it is constantly scanning for patterns of meaning in the massive flow of jumbled data that every day brings. Then, coming to a working conclusion that is always subject to revision or rejection based on new information. So, knowing this, I do not think I will simply cease having an opinion (or, I think more appropriately described, a working conclusion). Instead I will vigorously (and humbly) govern what He has put in my sphere and humbly (and vigorously) serve outside of that.

Don't know if that makes sense to anyone but me, but writing it down is helpful in ordering my thoughts about it. I understand it even better now.

Well, I started out this morning to write about a Power Principle the Lord showed me in the Word concerning giving. It is good to give, and giving results in increase. But the Lord showed me some specifics about a certain way and timing of giving that results not just in incremental increase but in breakthrough. I will revisit that next time. Apparently the first Power Principal is to humble yourself before God, that He may lift you up in His time.

You Know the Way

2009-08-13T04:35:00.011-04:00

Peer with me into an intimate setting. After dinner on the most important holiday of the year, the family talking and laughing in the den. Lights are low but not dim, voices quiet but not subdued. Laughter lays like a thin veil over a somber mood. The eldest brother, the leader of the clan, is preparing to move. Saying his goodbyes. He is receiving a promotion, the opportunity of a lifetime. He is excited that his destiny is so near, but sadness whispers that this period in his family's life is now over and can never be repeated. He knows this is the last time they will be together like this for a long, long time.

You have been there. I have too. Maybe not in the den, but in that time of transition. Giving up the known for the unknown. Trading the certain for the unproven. Watching some of the best and truest moments of my life pass before my eyes, trying to hold them in my heart because I will never hold them in my hands again.

I have lately been making decisions about where my family is going. Not physically - God has blessed us and set my feet in a wide place. I am very thankful. We love our church, the kids are in a wonderful school, I am very thankful for and committed to my job (even in this economy I've had 2 attractive opportunities come my way in the last month but I'm not going anywhere). Just refinanced the house, so we're committed to it for a while too. I'm talking about where we're going spiritually, and financially, and relationally. Who are we becoming?

Have a number of close friends also in transition. For some of them, like me, the transition is internal. For some an actual move to a new job, new town, new friends (hopefully also keeping the old ones like me), even a new country. Either way, it feels like we are creating the way forward as we go. At times it all seems so uncertain.

Somehow I woke up wide awake very very early today. Cup of coffee, reading about Jesus in John 14. He has just finished the Passover Meal with his disciples, the most celebrated moment of the most important holiday of the year. They don't know it yet, but their eldest brother is saying his goodbyes. He is receiving a promotion, so to speak, moving forward to his destiny. He knows they will not be together again like this for a long long time. And in these intimate moments Jesus words give strength and direction.

I go to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you with me. You know the way.

Jesus words are alive for me this morning, alive for us today. You know the way. He has prepared a place for you. You know the way. He will steer you forward. You know the way. Not something to be created by us at all, simply following him. Moving forward into the place he has already prepared. He will bring you there. You know the way. It's not a mystery, really not hard at all. Your eldest brother has already gone before you, prepared a place, and will bring you there. When we are lead by the Holy Spirit (keep reading John 14) we are lead into the place he has already prepared for us.

This time of transition is not uncertain at all. Keep moving forward. You know the way.

it's NOT FAIR!

2009-08-08T16:10:00.002-04:00

I just want to go on the public record to say...

IT'S NOT FAIR!!!

It is NOT fair, what happened to me.

I did NOT get what I deserve.

Also for the record, I do not want the US government, or ANY other government for that matter, to make it right.

What happened to me is this...
I broke God's law. I deserved judgement. Jesus died on the Cross in my place. I was set free, simply by receiving His gift.

It is not fair. It is not fair to HIM. It is not fair to me. But I wouldn't change a thing (even if I could, which is not up to me really).

It's not fair, but I am thankful. It's not fair, but I am grateful. It is not fair, but I receive it by faith.

Thank you Jesus, you did it all. It wasn't fair for you, but now all authority in Heaven and on earth is yours. You deserve all power, and all glory, and all dominion, and all praise. Right now You are waiting until Your enemies are made your footstool. It is not fair, but You did it for me.

Thank you. It is not fair, but I receive it all with gratitude eternal.

These are the words...

2009-07-22T17:50:00.003-04:00

Early morning.

Still and quiet, dark as night.

I am awake. My heart is still, expectant.

"I want to speak to you."
"I am listening."

"Let your heart receive my words, like ready soil the seed."
I am ready.

"I love you."

Your words fall like rain on thirsty ground. I soak it in.
Good seed in good soil. I will be fruitful for You.
My heart knows fresh peace. Confidence. Gratitude.

Now, a new revelation from Heaven:
"These are the words that allow you to receive."

Yes, Lord, I receive your words. I receive your love.

Confidence in Your love allows me to receive every good gift from You.

5 Years From Today

2009-07-21T18:05:00.002-04:00

Five years from today I will be five years older (no, it is NOT my birthday).

Been thinking about what my life will be like then, and what I want it to be like then.

Wanting to take the steps today that will get me there then.

Wanting to make decisions today that I will be glad for then.

Today is the foundation of our future.

Look out kid, he's coming!

2009-07-12T07:46:00.008-04:00

Yesterday I went to one of the neighborhood pools with my two youngest children. We had fun swimming and splashing, playing in the water. It was a nice summer day and the pool was pleasantly full but not crowded.

Another dad, younger than me, was in the water with his son who looked to be the same age as mine. This dad seemed to have been a competitive swimmer in the past and was teaching his son how to swim. I had also worked some with my two but mostly we just played.

After a couple of hours I took a time out to sit at our table while the kids kept swimming. My son Jack was on the ladder getting in when the other boy, also called Jack, was swimming with dad's coaching and a little assistance. The dad was focused on his son, as he should be. They were swimming towards the ladder when the dad noticed there was an obstacle in the path. "Look out kid, he's coming!" he shouted at Jack (my Jack, that is).

Now, if the boy on the ladder was someone else's son, I probably would never have noticed. There was no anger or menace in the other dad's tone, just an urgent command that must be obeyed.

I have written a lot on this blog about spiritual things, about love and forgiveness, etc. etc. etc. But I have a confession to make. I didn't like what this man said to my son, and I didn't like the way he said it. My first inclination was to march over there and explain some things to this guy: a) the boy on the ladder is NOT some kid, he is MY SON; (b) he can ask requests from my son but he has no authority to issue him commands, (c) he needs to start treating ALL people, including children, with the same respect he would like his own son to be treated, and (d) if he is unclear on any of the above I would be happy to explain it more clearly in the parking lot. He may be bigger than me, and he may end up on the top of the pile when it's all over, but he would know for sure he had messed with the wrong little boy.

Fortunately, I kept my mouth shut and the moment passed. I don't think Jack felt slighted or even thought a thing about it. But it has me thinking about how you treat other people's sons. You don't mess with them.

The Bible describes God the Creator of all as a Father. The Bible says that God has a Son. This Father loves His Son and is proud of Him, so much so that He has given all authority in heaven and on earth to His son. Pretty much it goes like this - if you are okay with the Son, the Father is good with you. But if you reject the son, you have put yourself on the wrong side of the Father. That's how I felt at the pool yesterday with my son. That is how God the Father feels about His son.

We better give the Son the love and respect He deserves. Look out kids, He is coming!

Say What?

2009-07-06T12:42:00.003-04:00

What you say is what you get.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21

The tongue of the wise promotes health.
Proverbs 12:18

A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
James 3:3-5

The Holy Spirit is reminding me, gently correcting me, patiently coaching me, to purposefully chose and carefully monitor what I say. He is reminding me what His Word says about me, His Word that can never be changed and will always stand, and He is asking me if every word from my mouth agrees with every word from His mouth.

Yes, I will pay careful attention. Yes, put a guard over my lips. I chose life. I chose peace and righteousness. I chose health. I chose abundance. I chose to build up those around me. I chose to agree with You, and say what You say.

Today we are speaking our very future into existence. Tomorrow I will be glad for the confession of my mouth today.

A Day of Deliverance

2009-07-04T14:34:00.004-04:00

It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations, from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. -- John Adams

John Adams, who later became the second president of the United States, understood clearly the momentous significance of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

He understood the results that would follow the publication of this Declaration, and the price that would be required from the new nation as a whole and many of the signers individually.

Today we remember and celebrate the tremendous sacrifices made by so many, that America could become the land of the free and the home of the brave. May we remain so always.

A very interesting rendition of the heroic signers of the Declaration of Independence is published by the US Senate Republican Policy Committee at http://rpc.senate.gov/releases/1998/founders.htm

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." These men relied upon God, who established their work, and they called upon us to commemorate this day with solemn acts of devotion to Him and celebration.

No better way to spend the 4th of July.

2009-06-23T15:48:00.000-04:00

My family is part of The Branch Family Church.

When I think about the Branch today, there are 4 things that come to mind.

The first three, in order of importance are: people, people, and people.

1) People – the lost. The Bible says the Lord does not want anyone to perish, to be eternally separated from Him. Jesus paid a tremendous price to provide salvation to everyone. The Lord is not holding anyone’s sins against them, but many people are still blind to His love. God was, in Jesus, reconciling the world to Himself. He has given us the ministry of reconciliation. God’s heart is to use the people of the Branch to bring the Good News about Jesus to hundreds, thousands, who knows how many people. If we love God and love people, the Branch will see many people confessing “Jesus is Lord.”
2) People – believers who need to receive. Jesus said “I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly.” Over and over and over, the Gospels record miracle after miracle as Jesus met the needs of those who came to Him. Never did He turn anyone away empty. He healed broken bodies and broken hearts. He met financial needs and spiritual needs. He taught those who would listen and challenged those who would not. Pastor Derek has an anointing, and this church has an anointing, to minister restoration. As we love God and love people, the Branch will see hundreds, thousands, who knows how many being restored.
3) People – believers who are ministering in Jesus’ Name. Jesus commissioned his disciples to go forth into all the world and make disciples. These disciples were Peter, James, John, and (insert YOUR NAME here.) We do that in different ways, according to the gifts He has given us. The people of the Branch have an ingrained understanding that we are to take that which we have been given and share it with others. Jesus said “It is better to give than to receive.” Here’s another way to think about that: it is better to be living in abundance, and to share that abundance with others, than to live in lack and need others to share with you. We have been commissioned by Jesus Himself to minister in His Name. As we love God and love people, (insert YOUR NAME here) will begin ministering in our giftings and with the same anointing He shared with Peter, James, and John.

Here is another way to say it: The Branch is a place where people get planted, grow strong, and branch out.

Those are the first three things that come to my mind today as I think about the Branch.

The fourth I really should call the First. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He is also the head of the church.

He is first in everything.

The Branch is the work of God, created for His pleasure and the glory of His Son Jesus Christ. As we love God and love people, Jesus is honored and He is glorified. And He is pleased. Isn’t that really what it’s all about?

What I Believe about the Branch

2009-06-18T21:09:00.006-04:00

There are some things I know, and some things I believe, about the Branch.

First of all, here is what I know.

I know that the Branch is a church. I've been a Christian for 33 years, have been a pastor at 2 different churches and an administrator at a third. I have a Bachelor of Theology degree. So I know some things about church. When I say the Branch is a church, I'm not talking about a building, or a tradition, or a meeting. I'm talking about the Biblical definition of church - God's people gathering together to worship Him, living for God without reservation and sharing their lives together. When we first visited the Branch, it felt like home. For 2 years we drove 45 minutes one way on Sunday morning. Wanting to be more involved, we sold our home in South Charlotte and moved to the University area. We were very hungry to experience God's presence and to worship with God's people. We are still hungry for that and are very glad to be part of the Branch.

I know that the Branch is a place where I have grown closer to the Lord. At the age 12 I was the first person in my family to become a Christian. I began praying and within the year saw my parents, my brother and my sister all become believers, and a church started in our home. (Today that church is one of the largest in my hometown.) So I know some things about walking in faith. I know that being part of the Branch has helped me love the Lord more, being more genuine and real in my relationship with Him, and has helped me better understand how much He loves me.

I know that the Branch is a place where my family has grown closer to the Lord, and closer to one another. I know that the Branch is a place where my children are flourishing, and our family relationships have become a higher priority than ever before.

I know that the Branch has been a place of healing and of restoration, a place where we have seen dreams fulfilled and new dreams born. While we've been here, God has fulfilled some promises He made to me a long time ago, and He has made some new promises that I am still standing on.

Those are some of the things I know about the Branch. And now, some things I believe.

I believe the Branch is lovely in God's sight. I belive that the Lord will fulfill every promise He made to Derek and Sarah. I believe that Derek is God's chosen man for this time and place, and that Sarah is also chosen for this task, and that we all are part of something eternally significant. I believe that God will use me in this place to be a blessing to others, and that He will use us, each of us here this morning, in ways we have not yet imagined. I believe that people here are genuine, and their love is genuine, and their faith is genuine. I believe that faithful are the wounds of a friend, and that even when we all try our best we each will have the opportunity to forgive. I believe that others will forgive me when I need it, and I will forgive them when they do, and we will walk in humility and grace and love toward each other. I believe this is a safe place to share my heart and that people here can be trusted. I believe the fields are white unto harvest, which I guess is a churchy way of saying that a lot of people are open and ready to receive God's love even if they don't know it. I believe God is about to do something in the worship portion of our services that is absolutely miraculous. I believe that as our children learn who God is and who they are, they will excel in every way. I believe that the Branch is God's planting, the work of His Hands, and that He will be glorified. I believe the best is yet to come, and that He will surprise us yet with His goodness.

Watching and waiting

2009-06-16T06:52:00.004-04:00

It has been a different season in my life. Jesus told a story illustrating what the Kingdom of God is like - a farmer planted some seeds. Then, night and day, whether he was asleep or awake, the seed grew all by itself. The farmer didn't even know how.

When the farmer was planting, you could see the physical activity. Later, when the farmer was collecting his harvest, you could see the physical activity. But in between, while the seed was sprouting and growing underground, you couldn't see much of anything. Just the earth where the seed had been planted.

That's kind of how I feel right now. By that I don't mean there is no physical activity going on right now - the kids are out of school for the summer so the house is hopping! There is a lot to accomplish at work. We're getting ready to visit family in AL for a week to celebrate a big birthday. But I'm thinking about my spiritual condidtion - I know I have planted some seeds, I am holding on to some promises, but right at the moment I don't see a lot of activity or results.

But, like the farmer in Jesus' story, I know what's going on. I don't understand all the how, but I know the seed has life in itself. I believe my heart is good soil. I must make sure to keep out the weeds, I must continue to remove the rocks. But the seed will grow all by itself. Night and day, whether I am awake or asleep, His word hidden in my heart will bring about His purpose in my life.

Thank you Lord for accomplishing your purpose in and through me. I will pass all the tests, for You are my Victory. I no longer stand accused, for You are my Advocate. I will be the one pleasing to You, for You are the Author and Finisher of my faith. I will reap a harvest of righteousness, all my hope is in You.

The Southern Man's Cookbook

2009-04-29T21:00:00.008-04:00

They say you should write the book you want to read.

Right now, I have a hankerin' to flip through the pages of a book titled "The Southern Man's Cookbook." Unfortunately, I can't cook so I can't write the book.

I am blessed to have a wife who is a very good cook. Very good. Here is just one of a thousand examples - she pays a lot of attention to what foods people like. So if someone is at our house and comments that they like a particular dish, they are likely to see a different but related dish next time they visit. See, that to me is the mark of someone who really likes to cook and really likes people to enjoy what they are eating.

Here is another example - she regularly tries out brand new dishes on company. See, if it was me, and we had company, I would make something I had made many times before and knew was really good.

OK, I'm on a roll - here's another example. Sometimes when she is doing some meal planning or looking over some recipes, she will ask me a question that starts something like this... "Does this sound good to you? 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 2 eggs, teaspoon vanilla..." I'm thinking, is this a dessert?

So, I have not learned to cook. Sure, I have a few standby dishes for the occasional weekend she's out of town. My repertoire runs heavy to breakfast foods but also includes Mexican Lasagna (a dish everyone who has ever tried it loves and is very easy to make), a few things like subs and tacos where the kids enjoy building what they eat, and of course grilling out. OK, I admit it - I need this woman!

When I was a college boy, I decided it would be quite witty to claim the last part of I Sam. 15:7 as my "wife verse." The Lord told Samuel that "man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart." So I began praying over this verse, saying "Lord, I want a wife that looks good to You and me both!"

My prayers were answered. My wife is outwardly beautiful (more now than ever before, if that is possible). And she has a heart that is pleasing to God. She is beautiful inside and out. Plus, she is a good cook.

(Soon after we were married I told her the only way she could have been any better for me was if she had been rich. Needless to say, she didn't think that was funny.)

The book that I want to read now is titled "The Southern Man's Cookbook." It would be funny, and have a lot of shortcuts about how to get good results with less effort, with a chapter on grilling and a chapter educating on various cuts of meat, a chapter on how to cook foods the kids will eat, and a whole section on breakfast and an entire chapter devoted to tools and gadgets of the kitchen.

Unfortunately my wife is a great cook and a great wife and a great beauty. It is all her fault I do not have the knowledge or experience to write the book I want to read.

Why Are You Weeping?

2009-04-12T07:28:00.002-04:00

11 Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
13-14"They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him." After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him.
15Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?"
She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."
16Jesus said, "Mary."
Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!"
17Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.'"
18Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: "I saw the Master!" And she told them everything he said to her.

Love Has a Voice

2009-04-08T06:58:00.008-04:00

Several weeks ago my friend Tami made a comment that has really stayed with me. "Love has a voice," she told me. Isn't that beautiful?

I've been thinking about that ever since then. What does the voice of love sound like? Lyrical, like reading poetry? Strong, like working construction? Compassionate, like caring for the needy? Firm, like lifting up those cast down?

The voice of love sounds like all these and more. The voice of love is like rushing water, not a single note but a multitude of sounds together. Lyrical and strong, compassionate and firm, practical and dreaming. The voice of love is a symphony.

The voice of love is like a heartbeat, always there, underlying everything, but you may not hear it unless you listen for it. The force that gives life and reason to it all. If I give, if I work, if I achieve, if I sacrifice - unless the voice of love is speaking in and through all these, they are worthless. I haven't said a thing.

But if the voice of love is speaking, even the smallest and seemingly most insignificant act is infused with meaning. An act of kindness, a word of encouragement, a cup of water - these become the very heart and life of God expressed in a needy world. The purpose of the Eternal is being fulfilled.

I am learning to listen for the voice of love. I am learning to hear love speaking in and through the everyday comments and actions of those around me. And I am learning to let love speak through me. Her voice is a symphony, the greatest treasure of all.

Evening Musing

2009-04-03T20:34:00.008-04:00

I'm on the back patio. It is dark and peaceful, with a chill in the air. The beginnings of spring are on the gentle breeze, with the stars and moon shining a light that is crisp and full of promise.

Most all my personal quiet time alone is in the early morning, but tonight is a musing by twilight.

I have been surprised tonight by grief. It has come to me like a neglected friend, demanding some attention at last. Reminding me of times we have shared in the past and loved ones lost. My mother lives in heaven now, and has for 3 years and 73 days. During that time grief has visited me, but I have pushed him away and never let him stay. I would reminisce for a moment or two, occasionally agreeing that I was, indeed, sad in some way that I could no longer speak to her simply by hitting my speed dial, but I was unwilling to express the things my heart wanted and needed to say that were far more painful and profound than words can express.

Tonight, unexpectedly, my heart decided to give voice to some of those emotions I have so long denied. Don't know why, tonight seems no different than most other nights, except that it's Friday so I don't have to go to work in the morning (except that I really do, instead of my desk I will be doing taxes yet again, and again without pay for another really deserving family...)

I cannot say that I wept, to me that indicates a lot of tears. I did have some tears tonight, and not the first that I have shed for her. But tonight was the first time I told her I was sorry. I said I was sorry that I could not take care of her like I wanted to, and that I could not fix it, and that I could not be there like I wanted to, and that someone besides me had to take care of her, and a paid caregiver had to give her a bath instead of her own family, and finally at the end to feed her and do all the things that she could not do for herself. Not so much a weeping as a wailing. My ears were surprised at the raw emotion they heard, sensing the rend in my heart as I cried out I am sorry Momma, I am so sorry. Suddenly I felt like a little boy again, I have not felt tears on my cheeks in a very long time. I remember my momma would wipe my tears and kiss them away. I felt her gentle touch as the spring breeze kissed my wet cheeks, my heart heard her telling me, as she always did, that everything would be ok.

I am sorry, Momma, that I could not care for you as I wished. I am sorry that someone besides me and my family brushed your red hair. You know the commitments I had at the time. You know I did my best. I hear you saying you know, that it is all ok. I wish I could talk to you now, but I need to go inside. My own children look to me as I once looked to you, wanting to know they are loved and that everything will be ok.

"Blessed are they that mourn," Jesus said, "for they shall be comforted." My Savior is a man acquainted with grief. I do not know the way forward but he does. Perhaps that was a part of his pain on the cross, seeing his mother and having to ask another to care for her. Knowing He could not wrap his arms around her, arms that were nailed to His task much firmer than my own have ever been. Perhaps He took this pain, too, on that cross. This Man of Sorrows, He is my Shepherd. Let me take this comfort I have received tonight and share it with those in need.

Center Target

2009-03-20T07:08:00.002-04:00

In my reading on a recent morning, I Peter 1:18 caught my attention. Don't have time to get into everything this morning, but the main thought is that we have been redeemed from aimless conduct.

Silver and gold are some of the most valuable treasures known to man. They were in Peter's day, and they are still so today. Kind of proves the point. If you've looked at any of your retirement accounts lately, you probably wish you owned a little more precious metals and a little less stock. (Of course, we all own a little less stock than we did last year, but enough of that...)

Yet Peter says these most valuable earthly treasures are not enough to pay this price, to redeem us. The very life of God,the blood of Jesus, was spilled as payment of this price. So this is a very costly purchase?

And what was this treasure traded for? To redeem me from aimless conduct.

God does not want me conducting myself aimlessly. He wants me to aim for a goal. He wants me to know what I'm working towards. Doesn't want me to hop in the car and start driving without knowing where I'm going. Doesn't want me to begin the day without knowing where I'm going, just riding around aimlessly.

Lot more for me to think about here, but this much is clear. God has some things on His heart, and He wants me to know what they are, and to be conducting myself in conjunction with Him.

The Shack

2009-03-09T22:13:00.005-04:00

Wow! The Shack was a birthday gift from some close friends.
(Thanks Larry & Jacki - you are a blessing in so many ways!!)

This is perhaps the best work of fiction I have ever read.

I would recommend this book to every adult I know.

Definitely will read it again, it's good on many different levels.

A gold mine of material to muse on.

Promises, Great and Precious

2009-02-12T05:50:00.004-05:00

Over and over the Holy Spirit has been whispering to my heart. Words of His love, thoughts of encouragement, reminding me that His plans are good. I may be satisfied with my current lot but He, most definitely, is not.

This year is to be a year for the ages. A banner year for my heart. I expect to look back on my life from eternity (if such can be done, or is considered worth doing then) and see 2009 as the foundation point for the rest of it. A cornerstone year.

Don't know exactly what that means, but I know my heart is changing. Growing. Opening to Him and His will in new and fresh ways. Expecting it in new places. You see, I have some Great and Precious Promises.

Peter is a man who knows about growing. He was a simple fisherman, some say ruled by his emotions. But he spent time with Jesus. He committed his heart and future to Jesus. He committed himself, who he was to become, to Jesus. He allowed the words of Jesus to change the man he was, and the man he was to become. Just the fact that most will know who I am talking about proves the effectiveness of this change. Peter became one of the most famous, effective, respected leaders in history.

Peter knew about great and precious promises. Jesus in person had made some to him. Peter said that by these promises from God, we become partakers of His divine nature.

We partake of His divine nature. It's not just that we experience the same results he would experience. It is that we become changed to be like Him. The results just come, well, as a result.

You see, I have received some great and precious promises from God. (You have too.) I have been waiting and expecting Him to do them. I could not do these things on my own. Plus in my own experience, and what I read in the word, trying to fulfill God's promises in your own strength only backfires. So I have been waiting. Praying. Expecting.

But now the Holy Spirit is whispering in my heart. I am beginning to see how these great and precious promises come to pass. I cannot do them. God will not do them without me. His plan is to change me to be like Him, to partake of His very nature. Then I will be able to do them, because He can do them. He can do them through me.

When we receive the promises of God in faith, the work begins. The Word begins to change me. To change my thinking. To change my expectation. To focus my attention. To stir motivation. To inflame desire. Not just any desire, some desires result in corruption or death. In the same breath as talking about partaking of the divine nature, Peter talks about escaping the desires that result in corruption. God's promises produce burning desires for the right things. His promises help us crucify desires that lead to death. His promises cause me to be thinking about Him, and what He said, and what He wants for me, and where He will lead me. His promises cause me to begin wanting what He wants, and putting away what He doesn't.

Result? We become like Him. Partaking of His divine nature. And the result of that? The fulfillment of His great and precious promises. After all, isn't that the end result of everything he would say to me anyway? That I should be like Jesus.

Yes, I will see the fulfillment of His Promises, Great and Precious they are. Not because I can do it, but because He can. Not because I said, but because He did. I consider Him who promised faithful.

Take Possession of It

2009-02-07T06:15:00.007-05:00

These are challenging times we live in. But I wonder, has there ever been anyone alive who could not say that?

Our church, the Branch Family Church, is in the building process. We have purchased 52 acres on Rocky River Road in Charlotte, just inside I-485. We are building on the property. We are taking possession of this land. This will be our home.

My house is quiet this Saturday morning. It's cold outside and the stars are as bright as they get in the suburbs. I'm drinking a great cup of steaming coffee from the big mug from Harvard that my sister gave me. Yes, they always said I was a smart kid, but she is the one who graduated from Harvard. (That's not where her degree is from but she was highly honored to be chosen to attend the John F. Kennedy School of Government executive training course.) I am very proud of her accomplishments.

So this morning I'm thinking about the challenges for our church to build during this economic environment, and about the business I work at, and about my family and our future. About how do we move from where we are to where we want to be.

A few minutes ago I was getting a book from the shelf and came across an old church newsletter. In 1989 I attended New Covenant Church , and we were building a new building. I wrote an article that spoke to our church then. That article spoke to me this morning. Here it is:

"We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." These words, spoken by Caleb in Numbers 13, are ringing in my heart. When the 12 spies returned from spying out the land they agreed that it was a good land, flowing with milk and honey. It was a land overflowing with fruit. There was an abundance of everything they would need. Yet of these 12 men, only Joshua and Caleb had the faith and courage the believe the the Lord could give such a land to them. They did not dismiss the obstacles or difficulties involved in taking possession of the land. Instead, they acknowledged that there would be battles but victory was certain.

"Time and again the people had seen God's miraculous deliverence and provision for them. They had personally walked across the dry floor of the Red Sea, they had watched as the mighty army of Pharaoh was laid to rest in the watery depths. These men and women themselves drank the water that flowed from the rock in the desert. Still, they forgot all these miracles. They felt like all was lost, just because they were in another tight spot. Apparently they were still learning the lesson.

"But Joshua and Caleb graduated with honors from God's School of the Desert. Every one of the Israelites had experienced the same miracles, but it seems that Joshua and Caleb had that attitude of victory that springs from total devotion to the Lord.

"Perhaps you find yourself at a crossroads. Is there some promise God has given you that seems too big? What is the Lord challenging you with? Maybe you lift up your eyes and see that the land God has promised you is a good land, but the obstacles are too great, there are giants, there are just too many reasons Why Not. I challenge you to lift up your eyes higher still, and see the bigness of our God. What giant can stand before Him? Who can oppose Him? He deals with giants like He deals with Pharaohs. He humbles all who oppose Him and His chosen people.

"Read Psalm 18, and ask God to make His word alive in your heart. Go forth in confidence in God. Abraham, like Caleb and Joshua, obtained the promise because he considered God faithful. We too should consider Him faithful to the promises He has made to us. We too should go up and take possession of our Promised Land."

Amazing. Words I had written almost 20 years ago to encourage others now coming back to encourage me. God has performed miracles in my life - miracles! He has not forgotten His promises to me, and He never will. I will see the fulfillment of what He said. He is faithful. He will do it.

I'm going to go read Psalm 18. Then I'm going to go and take possession of my own Promised Land!

The Year of the Family

2009-01-19T06:43:00.006-05:00

At least for me and my family.

Last night Sunnie and I watched the Masterpiece Theater version of "Jane Eyre." At first it could have seemed something of a sacrifice (even though neither team playing in the march to the Super Bowl is my favorite) but as we progressed I became involved.

It reminded me of the great gift of love God bestowed upon us when our story began. The details of that great love story are not for this page but last night a fresh breeze blew upon the fires of love for my wife. Our story rivals that of any literary masterpiece made, exceeds them all even if only for the simple fact that it is true. After 18 years together and a family and responsibilities, 2009 is the year we want fresh life and strength breathed into the love we share, the relationship that has grown stronger through the years but lateley not nurtured so much by me as before.

2009 is the year that family relationships between fathers and sons, and fathers and daughters will be set aright. 2009 is the year that daughters and mothers, and mothers and sons, will be put in right and loving place. What are our most important relationships? Those with our family must always be near the top of the list.

God Himself has placed us in the family. Whether I am the firstborn, middle or last was His own choice. Whether to be a son or a daughter was a question never posed to me. Nor a choice as to my parents or siblings. God Himself chose these people to be part of my life. He Himself is able and wanting to bring healing and fresh life and love into these relationships.

Forgiveness is a good place to start. They do not need to be forgiven, my family has wronged me in no way. Yet forgive I must. Forvigeness is a part of my new nature, as natural as breathing, out with the old, in with the new. Breathe in new life, expel that which has been used up. It is not so much that I need to forgive any particular thing, it is that I need to live with an attitude of forgiveness at each moment and instance of the day. I must let love only reign in my relationship with them.

My words must be governed by Love. How quick the retort, how sharp the tongue can be. My son Jack is three. He loves to look at my slowly growing collection of pocket knives. It is dangerous because they are tools and sharp, and he not yet skilled in handling them. How much more dangerous the sharp tool residing in my mouth. My family does not need my forgiveness, give them grace to forgive me. In 2009 I will allow the Holy Spirit to discipline me, may my tongue be governed by love. I will speak those things that are true and right, pure, lovely, admirable. They will hear me singing their praises. I will trumpet things about them which are excellent and worthy of praise. I will not whisper or even think upon anything else.

There must be more. How can the Holy Spirit do His work in us, in our family relationships? Forgiveness is His tool. Healing is His gift. Right words spoken in love His grace to us. How else does He work? In a myriad of wondrous ways He is full of abililty to change me into the man He envisions. And He has promised to continue this good work in me. May I be open and cooperative in 2009.

I have begun a study of Proverbs. I humble myself afresh. I open my ear to Your Word. With Your help I will listen as if my life depended upon it, as if the lives of my wife and children were at stake. I am not yet the man I see in your word, indeed at the moment feel so far from it. I know I have grown and can recount many victories you have done for me. I have placed my foot upon the neck of many temptations. Many accusations of the enemy against me have fallen, never to rise again. Many promises you have already fulfilled. But I hear the Holy Spirit saying to me that now is the time, this is the day, a supreme moment has arrived, and if I will yield to You, your good work in me you will heal and instruct my heart.

Yes, I am excited about 2009. I will become more like Jesus. I will be a force for good in my family. My wife will call me her great blessing and desire. My children will be grateful and proud that I followed my Lord wholeheartedly, learning to speak His very life into them and their future. I will be one who edifies and builds.

I am excited about 2009. As the better half of me said yesterday, Aslan is on the move.

Daring to Dream

2009-01-12T06:33:00.004-05:00

I want to get back to my thoughts on God's heart for the family in 2009. Normally this would be the right time - up early and alone, the automatic brew on the coffeemaker hasn't even gone off yet.

But I have a lot of work to complete in a short amount of time at work so a few sentences here & I"m out the door.

Last night was the first Bible study meeting at Ed & Nancy's for the Highland Creek Open House Group of Branch Family Church. It was very encouraging as a group of Christians gathered in a home to study the Bible and pray together. It did something strong and deep inside me and I am really enthusiastic about getting together regularly.

We are studying the life of Joseph and how he moved from having a dream to fulfilling his destiny. Several other groups in our church have been through the same study, but I believe this is the right time for the folks in our group. It is no coincidence we are beginning the study at the start of 2009.

There were several friends I have known for years, and a few new friends, and someone I met last night for the first time. But our hearts were open to the Holy Spirit and to one another. We committed to pray for each other and to be trustworthy friends, keeping in confidence those things that should be and "being there" when needed.

As we move forward I am confident we will better understand God's dream for us. He will help us grow and pass the tests, moving us from dream to destiny.

Well, the coffeemaker just started & I'm out the door to work. If I'm going to fulfill my destiny, I've got to be faithful with where I am today.

The Year of the Family

2009-01-01T08:30:00.002-05:00

I don't profess to know all, or most, or even a significant amount of what God wants or what His plans are. But I do know what He has told me - that 2009 is the year of the family.

More on that when I'm able...

The Prayers of the People

2008-12-31T07:50:00.002-05:00

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.

The Sparkliest Christmas Tree Ever, or Let's Switch Eyes

2008-12-20T08:22:00.010-05:00

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.

To Don't List

2008-11-24T05:52:00.002-05:00

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.

I Dare You

2008-10-13T07:05:00.008-04:00

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.

22 Thoughts for the Day

2008-09-23T06:27:00.006-04:00

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.

Where does she stand on the Issues?

2008-09-05T06:14:00.006-04:00

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.

Take it to the bank

2008-09-01T08:21:00.010-04:00

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.

The End of Faith

2008-08-25T06:13:00.012-04:00

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."

My Only Best One Forever

2008-08-06T06:29:00.005-04:00

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.

PS

2008-07-09T19:06:00.004-04:00

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.

Good morning Sunshine

2008-06-23T06:08:00.007-04:00

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.

The Secret of Abundance (aka, use it or lose it)

2008-06-09T21:27:00.005-04:00

"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.

Stop asking, start worshipping

2008-05-07T22:04:00.004-04:00

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.

Out of the mouth of babes

2008-05-04T13:42:00.015-04:00

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.

Hope O2

2008-03-26T22:25:00.005-04:00

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.

a recreation on another plane

2008-03-17T22:14:00.013-04:00

"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.

Too busy to blog...

2008-03-15T21:29:00.002-04:00

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.

Morning Musing

2008-02-18T06:16:00.003-05:00

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.

It just sounds better when you're inspired

2008-02-12T07:05:00.001-05:00

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.

The Wonderful Magic of Kidness

2008-01-19T06:23:00.000-05:00

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.

Snow Day!

2008-01-17T07:01:00.000-05:00

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!

Dreamin'

2008-01-14T21:35:00.000-05:00

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.

What you get

2008-01-14T06:36:00.001-05:00

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.

We Wish you a Merry Birthday

2007-12-18T06:18:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I sent an e-mail to an old friend from high school. Logged onto my computer Monday morning at work, first thing a reminder popped up for his birthday. So I sent a quick message with warm birthday wishes. In a few minutes he called me. Seems he had forgotten it was his birthday, and to tell the truth wasn't altogether thrilled to be reminded he was getting older. Like a true friend, I assured him that this was indeed a sign he is getting much older and should start taking vitamins immediately.

I have another friend who's birthday was last Sunday. (On a strange side note, it seems like all my friends have birthdays. I haven't checked with every one of them but it would be quite a coincidence if they ALL did.) My wife and I have known her for a while, long enough to know, I guess, when her birthday is. But I don't remember it ever coming up in a conversation, and like most guys I'm not the sort to seek it out and try to remember it. Usually I'm doing good to remember any birthday other than my wife and kids. I didn't have a card or present since we were at church when I found out it was her birthday. I told her I hoped she had a great birthday and remarked on many ways that her life was really, really good. She could tell my comments were true and from the heart, which made for an appropriate and I think appreciated birthday gift.

My sister's birthday is also right near Christmas. Like my friend at church, her birthday is often overshadowed by Christmas. I will not join those who rant and rave about the commercialization, etc. but things can get very busy with all the extras on the calendar and to do list. My parents always made a special effort to make her birthday memorable and to make sure it didn't get lost in the shuffle (plus she was the only girl so always got special treatment anyway).

All this birthday stuff right near Christmas started me thinking about another friend who's birthday is on Christmas day. That would be really tough, I suppose, but I've never heard him complain. He is the sort of guy who gives without any strings and instead of being offended that you forgot his birthday, would look for an opportunity to strengthen the friendship. One year when he was little some potentates threw him a surprise party with some really expensive gifts, but much of the time I suspect his birthday too gets lost in the shuffle of Christmas.

This year I'm going to make a point of telling him happy birthday and giving him a present. He's pretty well off so there's nothing I could buy that he needs (or wants, for that matter), but I suspect that like my friend at church, a gift from the heart would be appropriate and just the sort of thing He would appreciate.

In the Know

2007-12-17T06:47:00.000-05:00

My church The Branch has a monthly corporate prayer meeting. Last month during the prayer time the Lord spoke some specific things to my heart. Most of those were for me personally but there was one thing in particular that I wanted to share here. It applies to everyone because it is true, it will benefit anyone willing to embrace it. When I think about my last couple of entries, this one seems like it is going exactly opposite to what I just said about rambling on trying to make sense of things. Maybe the difference is this morning I have something to say. Maybe I shouldn't have laughed at Al Gore when the Republicans shouted "Flip Flop" at him, accusing him of changing his mind. Only God does not change, the rest of us do. And the rest of us need to. I remember one day as a young single man, fervently calling out to God for His will to be done in my life, hearing His voice in my heart, gently correcting and directing me:

"It is my love that demands you change."

Thank God He loves us too much to leave us alone. He has promised to finish the good work He started.

So here is the promised formula to help you gain understanding. This secret is so powerful it doesn't even have to be applied perfectly, just start in on it & keep at it & I expect you will see significant progress in whatever area of your life you use it. I'm not even sure this is a secret, it seems so plain and obvious. And yet when we look at our lives, and at the world around us, there obviously are principles being broken.

TO GAIN UNDERSTANDING

Wisdom herself speaks this out in Proverbs 9:4-6.

"Whoever is simle, let him turn in here! As for him who lacks
understanding, she says to him: Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the
wine I have mixed. Forsake foolishness and live. And go in the way
of understanding."
Here are the four steps:
Come
Eat & Drink
Forsake
Go
I will share a little more of my thoughts on these going forward, but if you're reading this you may want to give them consideration on your own. And by all means, share your insights with me. I have made a deep commitment to gain understanding in my life, and welcome you as the avenue for it.

Comin' Up

2007-12-01T07:30:00.000-05:00

Comin' up - How to gain understanding about anything in every circumstance. Do you know the four steps to unlock unlimited growth in understanding? You will after reading this (and I'm not kidding).

The Blank revisited

2007-11-13T07:03:00.000-05:00

Often our internal conversation is an effort to make sense of our lives. Or maybe I should say mine is. Something inside says that your life really matters, or at least ought to. There should be justice, and truth, and (oh please) mercy. Mostly we search for meaning not by writing it all down, but by talking to ourselves internally. I wake up this morning & sit here with a cup of coffee and a blank page before me.

A true picture of the day. My day is blank before me, waiting to be created. There are some things about the day that are not so much totally blank as waiting to be filled in. But the truth is that God has given us the power of choice in our lives and we decide how to fill in the blanks. My job, my home, my spouse, my church, the city I live in, the clothes in the closet, much of my life is the result of choices I have made. Choices I make today powerfully influence the range of choices I will have available to me tomorrow.

Choose well, my friends. And to myself, I say, Choose well!

The day is just beginning.

The Blank

2007-11-13T06:31:00.000-05:00

NOTE: This was written a couple of months ago, I didn't publish it at the time but I just read it again this morning & decided maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought it was.

One thing about writing is that you start with a blank page. There are all kinds of thoughts about writer's block, getting started, how to turn a thought or idea into a written work, etc. When I started this blog it was just a way to process some of the thoughts & emotions I had. Then a friend, then another, mentioned that they had read it, and somehow that changed something for me. It was like I wanted to say something of value to whoever happened upon this blog, and a new dynamic was introduced. Gradually it seemed as if the blank page was waiting to receive words of wisdom, or insight, or whatever could be of benefit. Then it became something to do, which wasn't quite as fun as it had been to write it. So I suspect it would not be as fun to read. Not that I really expect the early morning musings of someone who's daytime identity is a CPA to be really fun anyway.

So I'm going back to the blank page. Just me and the morning. Cup o' Joe, laptop, and a few quite moments before the kids wake up & the race begins. It's quiet now. I can hear my wife upstairs, moving around quietly so as not to wake Jack. Once he's up the house is a different place. My next door neighbor is a single man, his house is no bigger than mine but I imagine it is roomy for him. With 3 active kids I am sometimes wishing for more square footage. But there are some real advantages- you do spend more time together, in part because you are physically closer together. And my kids don't seem to mind, not in the least. When Jack gets up, he climbs out of his bed & heads to the hallway. I keep his bedroom door closed for his own safety - he can open it but at least the sound wakes me up so he's not wandering around the house all by himself. He will stand at the top of the stairs with his wonderful 2 year old smile and announce: "Jack's awake!" Let the games begin. Can I make a confession? He usually watches Curious George on PBS in the mornings. It is one of the few reasons on earth he will sit still for 25 consecutive minutes. He is very curious himself and it can be disconcerting to step out of the shower to find his sister's pet frogs in the sink instead of their aquarium or to find all the silverware on the kitchen floor. Many times I've heard people talk about what a negative thing the tv is, or how horrible it is to use it to "baby sit" your kids. But I think the truth is in the middle- this is a powerful medium for good or bad. Alan Ladd would put it like this, "A tv is a tool, Marion. It's no better and no worse than the man that uses it." (A quote from the western "Shane"). If Jesus chose to physically be on the earth today, he would be on tv. Maybe he would purchase airtime to get his message out, maybe not. But he caused enough of a stir that there would be no way for Him not to be on tv.

Well, I have really enjoyed this little chat. Not sure if there is anything of value here, to tell the truth. Just some early morning ramblings of some guy waking up and considering his life. The wisest man who ever lived did that a lot, of course his writings about it are of value. So if you're looking for something of value, I would recommend the Bible. If you're just curious, thanks for taking a minute to let me ramble. And to you I say, Ramble on. Keep considering your life until it makes some sense. My page is no longer blank, and my little Jack is awake.

Not a harvest grain lost

2007-10-31T06:20:00.000-04:00

You will hear them preaching it on tv, but you heard it here first. You will see it happen in God's people, but you'll see it here first.

How do I know? Because I see it in the Word and I believe it in my heart and I confess it with my mouth and that is the pattern God set for how things work. That is how He operates and He is teaching His people to operate like Him.

2 Kings 8 tells the story of a woman going home. She lived amoung the Philistines for 7 years because of a famine in the land of Israel. She didn't run away, she left at the word of the Lord to her. When she came home she went to see the king about getting back what was hers.

The Lord prepared the way for this woman. As she walked into the king's presence, they were talking about her! The king was speaking with Elisha's servant about the time Elisha raised her son to life. She was going to see the king, and at that moment the king was thinking about her and talking about her. Mere coincidence? Don't think so.

God prepared the way for her request to be answered, and then some. She wanted to get back her house and land. Because the Lord prepared the way for her, the king immediately answered yes to her request. He commanded that everything that belonged to her was returned. Done.

But listen to this - here is the part that flashed out at me: In addition to her house and land, the king commanded that she be given the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence! God cares about your harvest. The Lord has not forgotten about the seed sown, and he watches over it. He wants you to have the harvest. God is a restorer of lost harvests. He is a King who knows the value of the harvest. He is the Lord of the Harvest.

In this instance, the woman's harvest was a literal, physical harvest of crops. There was no way to give her the physical harvest. What was restored to her was money, income, the equal value of her lost harvest. One reason God uses money so much is that we can understand it. God cares about our physical harvest and wants us to understand how things work. The harvest Jesus spoke to His disciples about was of people.

We are entering a season of harvest. I am prepared to receive the restoration of my lost harvest, the value of what God gave me that I was not able to receive and enjoy. What appeared to be lost or stolen is now restored! In one day, the Shunammite woman went from homeless to owning a house and lands with seven years worth of income in the bank. Our God is a God of restoration, and He is Lord of the Harvest. He wants to restore the harvests that have been lost. If you look at the king's command, not one day's worth of harvest was lost- "from the day she left until now." I am receiving the value of my harvest, because the King has declared it so.

You've got to show it

2007-10-26T06:02:00.001-04:00

This morning I'm out the door to have coffee with one of my very good friends. We try to get together one morning a week. Doesn't always work because of our schedules, and for a while there it seemed like we were both either out of town or on the go a lot. Recently we changed from Thursday to Wednesday, but this week it's Friday. Sometimes I buy the coffee, sometimes he buys, usually we just get our own.

I usually bring my Bible, and he mostly does too, but don't necessarily open them every time. At one point in my life it would have bothered me to say that, but now it does not. The things that we discuss are things that are important in our lives- our families, our church, our work. Sometimes we discuss things that are not important at all, like all the beautiful chrome on my Harley. Sometimes he will ask me what I've been reading, which I love to do but is kind of a luxury since my children are 13, 6, and 2 years old. He and his wife don't have kids so in some ways our lives are very different.

We share a lot in common, but the main thing is I trust him. I trust his heart and I trust his head. I value what he has to say, and I know he cares. We don't always have the same perspective on everything, which is good. We all need that. He's my friend. I am thankful to say that I have been blessed with some close and supportive relationships. Many of them have been formed at the Branch Family Church.

Proverbs says that if you want friends, you've got to show yourself friendly. A friend loves at all times. There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. A friend listens. A friend tells you the truth, when it feels good and when it doesn't. A friend watches your back and supports you when you're not there. If we want to have friends like that, we've got to be a friend like that. If you want a friend, you've got to love and you've got to show it.

The Keys and a blank check

2007-10-22T05:56:00.000-04:00

Last night something powerful happened. More on that in a minute, but first let me lay some groundwork.

Jesus told his followers, "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." When I was in Bible college I studied Greek. I am not a Greek scholar (as Dr. Bagwell would attest) but I learned how to use the reference materials and dig into the original language. For one of my assignments I chose this particular passage in John 14. I parsed the verbs, looked for nuances in word selection, reviewed the derivation of each word for further insight, considered the verse in the context of the overall passage, and whatever else budding Greek scholars are instructed to do.

After a couple of hours with all these books spread out around me, I came to the conclusion that what Jesus really said, what He truly meant, goes something more like this: " If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it." What was Jesus saying? It sounded like Greek to me. Then I realized, He was saying what He meant!

Suddenly this familiar verse took on a life of it's own. Could Jesus really have meant that? Imagine this- your boss calls you into his office. "You're doing a good job," she says. "You know me, and you know this company and where I want it to go. You start any project you want, and I'll back you up. Make any changes or improvements you think necessary. Enter into any contracts you want, hire new people, whatever you need to get the job done. You have worked for me for a while, and I know you well enough to expect you wouldn't do anything I would be uncomfortable with." Wow. The phone rings, "Mr. Henry. Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer. Her Royal Highness asked me to convey to you that she has seen that your way of life and the decisions you make are having a wonderful influence on the world around you. She would like to encourage you to carry on in greater fashion so she has created an account in your name at the Bank of England. You may withdraw funds as needed to carry on the work you are doing. My office will monitor the account and deposit additional funds as needed. The Queen simply requests that you continue in the same vein that you are presently on, albeit more forcefully and on larger scale. Have a nice day."

There in my dorm room, it seemed like Jesus was saying to his followers, "Here is the checkbook of Heaven. I have updated the signatory card, and your name is on it. Don't worry about a check bouncing, I'll cover any check you write. Just make sure that you spend it on the same things I would." That idea seemed crazy, nobody gives a bunch of signed, blank checks out.

But then in John 16 Jesus tells them the same thing again! "My Father will give you whatever you ask for in my Name." At another time, Jesus told them the same thing from a different angle, "I am giving you the keys to the Kingdom."

Last night something powerful happened. God's people from The Branch gathered together for corporate prayer. Could it be true that prayer changes things? That it changes me? If it is true, then watch out because we asked for the very presence and power of God to invade our lives and the city of Charlotte! Change is on the way!

Life under The Son

2007-10-17T20:21:00.000-04:00

I started at a new workplace this week and so of course I've spent some time thinking about what the Word says about work. The Lord does not spend time (or maybe waste it) on those philosopical sort of questions that don't really have an answer. The Bible is a practical guide for life. It seems to me that all the oppositions people have with the Bible generally are an excuse to avoid responding to its truth.

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon records the greatest wisdom of the human experience. One of the key phrases of the book is "under the sun." Solomon's conclusion for life under the sun is that it is all empty or meaningless. That is the only logical conclusion, looking at the facts from the perspective of a purely physical existence.

But the Holy Spirit graciously revealed more than that to Paul. Maybe it was when he visited heaven. Okay, I'm taking some liberties here. Paul never says he visited heaven, he simply says there was a man. My opinion is that the man was him, but I'll admit I was proven wrong on at least one occasion and rumored to be wrong on several others. Whenever it was, the Holy Spirit provided Paul with a glimpse of life beyond what Solomon observed, of life lived under The Son.

Solomon said, "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all you have, for the days are coming when you will be dead and cannot enjoy work anymore." True, if this life is all there is. Paul said to the Colossians, "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your heart, for you know that you will receive a reward from the Lord. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Later Paul said, "If our only hope is in this life we are of all men most miserable." He admitted the same conclusions Solomon had come to, up to a point. But Paul had seen something more. If' this life is all there is, if the only basis for judgement is "under the sun", then it is all meaningless and the joke's on us. Paul's concludes that there is more to this life than meets the eye. Further, he concludes that the unseen part, the part after "under the sun," is by far the most important.

So we take heart in difficulties, knowing that our present and light affliction is working for us a far exceeding weight of eternal glory. When the battle hits close to home, it's good to remind myself that I are already have the victory in Jesus! He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

follow me

2007-10-12T05:36:00.000-04:00

Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose follows a group of young paratroopers from bootcamp into combat during WWII. Just after D-Day, Lt. Winters is tasked with attacking an enemy artillery position with a small group of men. In the HBO produced series based on the book, he issues instructions then makes sure everyone understands. Then Lt. Winters begins moving toward the guns, calling over his shoulder "Follow me!"

Leadership is not about telling others what to do. It's about doing. I'm not going to get into what leadership is and how to do it - if you want that you have a choice of 219,317 books on Amazon.com (as of about 5:30 this morning, there are probably more by now). There are also countless videos, classes, seminars. Let me tell you, you can even google "leadership pill" and get results! (Ok, it's another book.)

This morning I wrote a note to my pastor. I wanted to tell him how much I have appreciated working with him for the last year and a half. By his choices and conduct, he has qualified himself as a leader in the Body of Christ. None of us can choose our place in the Body of Christ, God Himself determines that. We can however conduct ourselves in such a way that we become all He wants us to be.

Paul said "Follow me as I follow Christ." There are a lot of ideas about leadership, but to me this sums it up pretty well. That is the kind of leader I am willing to follow. And that is the kind of leader I want to be.

See the way

2007-10-06T07:02:00.000-04:00

Zacchaeus was shorter than most. I can relate. He lived in Jericho, which I don't really relate to but that's okay. One day Jesus was walking through town. There was a crowd & Zacchaeus couldn't see over the top. He was looking for Jesus but all he could see was shoulder-blades. Or maybe knee-caps, depending on how wee of a man was he.

Sometimes it seems like you're looking for Jesus but there is something in the way. You want to see Him, you want to go the right way, do the right thing, make the right choice, but its hard to see the way. Sometimes like Zacchaeus, it seems that the hindrance is me, or something about the way I am. That's just the way I am. Why do I always do that? Etc., etc., etc.

Zacchaeus didn't let that stop him. He got to a higher place. He ran ahead & climbed a tree. Now he was well above everyone. So much that he attracted the attention of Jesus.

In our hearts, that higher place is often the place of praise. When I can't see Jesus, I need to lift my voice in praise, let my song be heard, lift my heart in thanksgiving. Speaking in faith the goodness of God, thanking Him for everything He has done, gets my eyes off the problem & opens my heart to receive His Word.

Need a path through the Red Sea? God can handle it (just ask Moses). An entire army chasing you down to kill you? No problem (Moses again. Or David. Or Hezekiah. I could go on). The devil himself against you? Already defeated. God does not have challenges, and even if He did, it would have to be something way bigger than the issue I'm facing today.

Praise lifts my heart to the place I can see Jesus, where my heart is open to hear His word. Looks like the Bible says it attracts His attention to me. As my friend Scott says, "Praise Him!"

Please turn to Song #116

2007-10-05T05:40:00.001-04:00

When you first meet someone, you are looking for common ground. That's why I have to work to avoid the question "What do you do?" What do you mean, what do I do? I do the same things you do- get up, go to work, hang with the guys, check the weather, bring home the bacon, pull for the team, help clear the dishes, give the kids a bath, try to keep my nose clean, keep it between the ditches, keep the ax to the grindstone, kiss my sweetie goodnight, try not to think of all the things undone when I finally lay my head on the pillow. Oh, you mean what's my job? If I'm pressed for time I usually answer "I do taxes." This is kind of a dangerous answer because 98% of the time that stops the conversation like a brick wall but the other 2% can lead to lengthy discussions on home office deductions and the like. (Side note: In my opinion, if you are legally entitled to a deduction you should take it. No charge for that one, but you should consult your own tax advisor.)

This morning I found a lot that I had in common with a man I've never met. And I don't know what his job is. Or was, I should say. He's been dead for a while now. But something he wrote has become one of the most famous pieces of literature in history. Hopefully someday we'll have even more in common than we do now. Not sure if it was a song or a poem, but it's included in the book of Psalms right before the shortest chapter in the Bible.

Psalm 116 is an expression of heartfelt gratitude that is as relevant and encouraging today as it was several thousand years ago. Our friend recorded the difficulties of his soul, something everyone can relate to. I wish everyone could also relate to the answers he found: that God is gracious and righteous and full of compassion.

When we call out, "O Lord, save me!" we open our situation to the same loving power that caused this guy to declare "When I was in great need, He saved me."

Wait, it gets even better. Not just help for the immediate need, but guaranteed success in the future. Too good to be true? In verse 8, my guy says not only has his soul been delivered from death (and his eyes from tears) but his feet have been delivered from stumbling. Where do I sign? My feet delivered from stumbling? I'll take it! Help for today and hope for tomorrow.

"Be at rest once more, O my soul." Why could he say that? Because God was good to him. Now that's something that I want to have in common.

The Tip of the Scepter

2007-09-21T05:58:00.000-04:00

"Now it happened on the third day," the ancient Eastern story goes, "that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace."

Chances are you are very familiar with the story. You know what has transpired up to this point. You know that Esther's life (certainly), and the lives of her family (most probably), and even the future of her entire nation (quite possibly), hang in the balance. You know that it is unlawful to enter the king's presence without an invitation, and that there is only one punishment: death. Unless, of course, the king extends the royal scepter.

Remember the moment you stood on the edge. That moment on the bridge, or the ledge or the edge of the cliff. It takes your breath away. Your body backs away of its own volition. Your stomach is in your throat. Maybe you didn't physically stand on the edge; you were on a different edge. The car hydroplaning or sliding on ice. Or any of a thousand other situations where danger is imminent.

Esther felt it. She walked right to the edge. Then she stepped off. The Bible does not say how Esther felt at that moment, but I have tried to imagine it many times.

There is no way to know for sure, but I do know how Esther felt when the king extended the royal scepter to her. I know what Esther felt as she walked across the throne room, as she looked into the eyes of the king and placed her hand on the tip of the scepter. I know because I have felt it too. I too have known the sentence of death for breaking the law. I too stood condemned, no recourse and no appeal. No hope save one, the favor of the King. I know the relief, the overwhelming joy, the gratitude from the deepest part of the soul, the desire to express something for which there are no words.

I know because I too have touched the tip of the scepter.

The King of Heaven has extended the royal scepter to us in Jesus Christ. Sometimes when my life is busy and my mind becomes consumed with other things, I do not remember. But I remember now. I am so very thankful to God for His love and His grace to me. So freely given, at such great cost to Himself, how can I not give my life to Him and live for Him each day? There is only one refreshing, and everything else is a picture of it. Come with me this morning to say thank you again. Come with me today to touch the tip of His scepter.

Wait for it...

2007-09-20T05:38:00.000-04:00

Dark house. The only sounds I hear are a few crickets outside and the occasional random sounds of a coffeemaker that just got done. There is something about the early morning, a sense of expectancy for the day. Maybe our hearts know the dawn is just on the way.

Refreshing. Renewal. The dawn. A new day. Here in the dark and the quiet, I am waiting for it all to happen. Waiting and watching. Hoping. Expecting. Believing.

Sometimes our hearts need a moment with no external demands. Sometimes the heart needs to just be. It is a way of acknowledging God. I embrace humility, quietly seeking God's face.

Waiting, if done right, has good results. "Wait upon the Lord," Isaiah said, "and you will renew your strength." I am waiting to see His goodness. He will renew my strength. A new dawn impends... what does this new day hold? I wait to see what the Lord will do for me.

Beauty on a stick

2007-09-14T23:55:00.000-04:00

I'm still thinking about refreshing. I was recently on a trip which was thankfully refreshing. I was outdoors a lot in a wild and beautiful place. Being in touch with nature does something very good for the soul. It is refreshing to view God's handiwork on display, to stop and reflect that our days are few and the only things that really matter have a lot to do with how I treat others. It is refreshing to come to the end of the day exhausted with honest effort and to appreciate God's handiwork displayed in you. It is good to lay down the accumulated cares of the day, and to never take them up again.

One thing that struck me as I was away from my daily routine: I and the members of my party took a lot of pictures. The setting was visually stunning - towering mountains, rushing waters channeled by boulders and cliffs, alpine meadows, forests with wild flowers and fauna. (Including wild trout. I am happy to say I saw a lot of wild trout, but not all of them were as happy to see me.) All recorded with the touch of a button, immediately saved on my camera's memory stick. As I thought about it, I came to realize something deeper was going on.

More than the impressive visual display, we were trying to capture the moment. I didn't so much want to record the view as to record the feeling the view created in me. I wanted to capture the beauty, and I wanted to experience again (when looking at the picture later) the feelings that beauty stirred deep within me. I wanted the beauty on a stick (ok, my camera's memory stick) so I could take it out and feel that feeling again and again and again.

Sounds kind of funny when I say it like that, being so open about something so private. I guess that's the power of a blog. You can bare your soul to another without looking into their eyes. God's creation is a masterly display. Our souls respond to beauty. True beauty refreshes. It's like our eyes have taken something in and, having communicated everything they have seen, they tell us that there are truths they comprehend beyond this material world. In honest and quiet moments we can hear our hearts agree.

All longing for beauty, and all longing for refreshing, are echoes of our hearts crying out for God.

The Big Three

2007-08-26T17:27:00.000-04:00

The most famous Christian thinker must be a man named Paul. Paul was not content to simply mull things over, he was a man of action. He had concluded that the early followers of The Way were not only wrong but a danger to his society. He actively opposed their belief and way of life, working diligently to stop them.

Paul tells about an experience he had which changed his life and caused him to reconsider everything he believed. As Paul tells it, Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light. Ironic, isn't it, that as Paul's physical sight was taken away his spiritual eyes were opened. He later wrote: "To be physically minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace."

Paul taught about Christian virtues, finishing with the big 3: faith, hope, and love. As I've considered what he said, and about the life of Jesus, here is how I think about these big three.

Hope sees it

Faith grabs it

Love gives it away

Lord, may I grow in these virtues. May I become more like Jesus.

Create it again

2007-08-24T05:55:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you have the luxury (as I think of it, though many would disagree) of focusing on one thing at a time. Personally, I really enjoy it when you're doing something and get into the zone. You know what I mean, that place of concentration where you have pushed past the distractions and your whole self is focused on _______.

Fill in the blank with the objective of the moment - making the putt, finishing the painting, printing the tax return (ok, maybe not that), presenting your dry fly so well that a wild trout actually believes it's a bug instead of a feather-covered hook on a string.

Think about that last example. Of course it is more fun when you actually catch the fish. And that's the part everyone asks you about. But that's the external part, the physical part, the measurable result. Losing yourself in the pursuit of the goal is in some ways more deeply refreshing than attaining the goal. (So is the true refreshing the art of thinking about something other than myself? My pastor might say yes - I need to think about that part some more.)

When we think of refreshing, we tend to think of recreation. Recreation certainly is important, most would agree. After all just look at the word. Re-create, or literally, "to create again". Nothing wrong with refreshing the body, ought to be done. Probably much more often than most of us actually do it.

But I think God has been better to us than we realize. True refreshing is available all around us, every day. We don't have to go anywhere or buy any equipment or tickets. Refreshing has more to do with attitude, reorienting our internal equilibrium. An important part of refreshing of mind and of spirit, for me at least, is somehow tied to concentration. Getting to the level of focus that alters my experience of time. All of a sudden you come back to earth and realize you don't know what time it is because you have been so focused on _______. You're not sure if it has been 3 minutes or 30. To me, this brings refreshing.

The best is when our whole body, and mind, and spirit are unified in the chase. This is the ultimate place of refreshing. Interesting that God's word teaches us to live every moment like this, fully focused on loving God with everything that we are.

I would like to think about this some more, and truthfully have enjoyed the earliest moments of the day here by myself. It has been refreshing. The house is dark and I have a steaming mug of coffee. But upstairs I hear 2 year old Jack, out of bed early and embracing the day. My moments of focused concentration at an end, it is time to focus on the needs of others. Let me take this refreshing and share it with others today. Time to lay down my own agenda, time to embrace my son.

Lookin' good

2007-08-18T06:36:00.000-04:00

This morning I'm thinking about Jesus. Not a bad place to start. Jesus is such a paradox. Fully God, yet he laid it all down. Our natural tendency is to constantly strive and work, trying to grow, to increase, to get more, have more, be more. Jesus had it all, and He laid it all down. That constantly challenges me.

Apparently it challenged Luke as well. Luke was a doctor, well-educated and presumably in the upper class of his time. Somehow Luke's attention got arrested by Jesus. Whatever plans Luke had for himself evaporated like steam from the tea kettle. Our own strivings are like that- lots of heat and energy, insides boiling, making lots of noise and demanding attention from others. But it all just evaporates as soon as it's out the door. No lasting results, nothing of value produced.

Luke records a dinner conversation Jesus had with some up and comers (Luke 11), Pharisees and experts in the law. These were good people to know. They were like Senate staffers today- maybe not the people making the speech, but the people writing the speech. Some of these people will be making the speech soon. Important people. People you would want to impress.

Jesus did make an impression on them. His words have made an impression on me. He scolded them and corrected them. These people loved to give it out, but it stung them to be on the sharp end of the stick. Jesus pointed out that they majored on things other people notice but left their own hearts untouched. They gave a tenth of their herb gardens to God but, Jesus said, neglected justice and love.

Here's what gets me: "You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone." Imagine this- you're riding in the front seat, your friend is driving. Suddenly you notice that your friend is no longer checking the road but has her nose glued to the dash board, completely focused on the speedometer. What are you doing?? "I don't want to go over the speed limit." Jesus was saying, "Hey guys, you're only watching the speedometer but you're about to drive into a bridge!"

"Keeping the rules" is fine and necessary, absolutely ought to get done. But it is the result, the by-product of a heart on fire. These guys were doing it because it was required to advance, because it would hurt their cause to be seen as not doing it. They were practicing only those things that others would notice. Jesus challenged them give their heart and attention, their full energies - to practice - something much deeper.

All too easy to focus only on those things that make us look good. Esse quam videre.

What grows?

2007-08-14T21:22:00.000-04:00

"What you give attention to grows."

Not today, but years ago in the early morning I heard these words whispered in my heart. I began to consider, wondering about experiences I have had which would either confirm or deny the proposition. The more I considered, the more settled I became that they are true.

Is our own experience important? Absolutely. But there is a higher measurement.

The Bible says what we give our attention to is very important. Our internal state is to a great extent governed by where our attention is directed. "Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge." Proverbs 19:27. Our financial affairs will flourish or fail based on the attention we give them. "Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds..." Proverbs 27:23

The apostle Peter considered attention one of the most important aspects of ministry. He learned ministry from paying close attention to Jesus, devoting years of his life to be with Him. Give attention to Acts 3: "And fixing his eyes on him, Peter said, 'Look at us.' So he gave them his attention..." Then "all the people saw him walking and praising God.

Consider: (1) Peter focused laserlike attention on the man he was ministering to; (2) Peter commanded the attention of the man he wanted to touch; (3) others paid attention to the miracle.

What commands our attention today? Is that something I really want to grow in my life?

Attention is the sun, our thoughts the plants. What we give attention to grows.

What's a "musing"?

2007-08-06T08:44:00.000-04:00

Musings are defined as thoughts, contemplations, meditations. When one is musing, it can be said, you are deep in thought or contemplation.

What are our musings? The raw material of our internal conversation is not something we often spend time, well, musing over. It's early in the morning and already a parade of thoughts have presented themselves: practical considerations, the needs of those around me, work to be done, projects to be completed, threats and worryings demanding a home, ideas, reminders, hopes, dreams, possibilities. And yes, the desire for a good cup of coffee.

Our thoughts are multiple and varied, lightning bolts across our mind's horizon. Usually, we're not even aware of the millions of decisions we make regarding our thoughts. Which do we accept? Which to reject? Which do we build and pursue? It has been said that the human mind processes thought at the speed of about 50,000 words per minute. What is it that we are thinking about?

The Apostle Paul encouraged his friends at Phillipi to give their mental energies only to those things worthy of attention, thoughts that were uplifting, encouraging, and strengthening. This is not a PollyAnna approach to life; it requires the discipline of an Olympic athlete. Lord, help us to be the ruler of our musings. As a man muses, so is he.