FIRM PATHS

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?

1. Guard your heart. This speaks to our desire, drive, motivation. What is the one thing I am truly pursuing right now?
2. Guard your tongue. Pay careful attention to speaking what is true, right, positive. What is the overall message I am broadcasting?
3. 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?
4. 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

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

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!

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...

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

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!

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?

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

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.

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...