Let someone else do it

It's Christmas time and we all talk about a season of giving, a time to help others, a time to reach out and make a difference, but I am amazed at how much lip service we pay to benevolence and how little we actually do.

I love it when Ralphie gets his Red Rider B.B. gun, or the town takes up a collection in "It's a Wonderful life." I rejoice is Ebeneezer Scrooges repentance and restoration and tear up when the Grinch's heart grows three sizes. During the holidays I love listening to sappy Christmas songs, watching movies of hope, joy and transformation, but what am I doing to demostrate that spirit of giving, good will and change.

I have done what a lot of us do. I bought a few presents for others (even families I know are in need). I left a little bit bigger tip than usually for my serve at Longhorn, or let someone go past me in line at Sam's club - where I tend to be selfish is in my time.

Last week we were out making a few deliveries and everywhere we stopped people wanted to talk. We were invited in, asked to stay and visit and all I could think about was the next stop on our journey. There are a lot of people alone this Christmas. Widows, single-parents, or folks that are just hurting. Everyone thinks that something should be done. Everyone talks about making a difference, but few of us invest our time in the lives of others.

Of all the sappy Christmas movies the one I feel most connected to is Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. I really don't care much for the movie, but understand what is going on at the "island of misfit toys." They want to experience Christmas like everyone else. They want to wake up under someone's Christmas tree. They want to be loved, adored, appreciated and wanted by someone - anyone.

So for just one day - put away your checkbook. Sure there are lots of folks in financial need, but give a little of your time. Have someone over during the holidays that no else is going to invite. Take a widow(er) out for coffee. Have a single-mom over for New Year's Eve.  Take a family who have lost their job to Sunday lunch. It's time to quit talking and make a difference.

Disappointed

It is always hard when people you depend on let you down. It is even more difficult when you go to the mat for them and they leave you hanging. Having been through that struggle more than once, I realized that we follow a pretty normal procedure when these things happen.

1. There is the anger and frustration phase. How could they do this to me. I have done so much for them. I am so disappointed, angry ________ (insert adjective).
2. Next there is the instinct to retaliate. It may not dwell in all people, but I think most of us have an "eye for an eye" gene somewhere in our system. "They are going to do that to me - I will show them."
3. At some point reason should begin to set in. I say, should begin to set in because it doesn't always work that way. Some people never get beyond anger and revenge and that is sad for them.

I am moving into the reason stage, which means I try to put myself in the other person's shoes. I try to understand why they let me down, what was going through their head. I search for a good reason to forgive and forget.

Arriving at the reason stage of any disappointment is really finding the path to personal healing. I don't like being angry, frustrated or disappointed by others. I don't like walking around wasting useful energy on useless endeavors. There is a time we just need to learn to let go.

Thanksgiving 2010

We all recall the stories of the early pilgrims struggling through the first seasons of sowing and harvest. We reminisce about the native American's who shared their maize and meats with the early settlers.

Today's Thanksgiving observance is steeped in lots of family tradition and an immense amount of calories. I would guess that most people take a few minutes around the table to count their blessings and offer the obligatory thanksgiving prayer. Others take some real time to focus on all the abundance God has given us in this great nation.

This year I am truly thankful. When we stop and think about Thanksgiving, pause for just a minute and remember where you have the good fortune to live. In Haiti there are still millions of people without homes, living under the most Spartan of shelters and battling cholera, dysentery and disease. In many regions of Africa tribes are rising up against other tribes and committing acts of violence and attrocities that would shake the core of our sensibilitites.  There are children who go to bed without anything to eat, millions who are dying of AIDS in Africa, and the billions (yes billions) who don't even have potable water to drink, wash or cook with. These are not the apocryphal stories we tell our children when they don't eat their brussel sprouts. These are real people, hungry, struggling for their daily survival and in desparate need of food, shelter and care.

I don't respond well to guilt, and I am sure there are others like me, so rather than appeal to your guilt and shame, I am going to appeal to your compassion and empathy. I would venture to say that our family will spend in the hundreds of dollars this year just on groceries for Thanksgiving (add in the decorations, table settings, etc. etc.) and I really don't want to know what the bill will be.

This year I plan to celebrate my thankfulness to God by sharing those blessings with others and I am asking you join me. Most of you have good works you support (please send a little something extra this week to help make a difference). If you don't have a charity of choice, this year I have added a special work that needs my help (and yours). If you can send a little something extra, please join with me in helping the organization below:

Manuelito Navajo Children's Home
P.O. Box 58
Gallup, NM  87305
(505) 863-5530

Our escape to 17

I love scrolling through my friends facebook albums. Especially the ones from back when we were kids. It amazes me how they all have changed but I still look like I'm 17. For all the great marketing applications, the chance to reconnect with old friends and the lives I have been able to reach out to because facebook, I realized that one of the real appeals is the ability to be a kid again.

When I read posts and look at some of the things people post on Facebook I think - grow up. Of course, the minute I think that someone sends me an email and says - Trent, grow up! Facebook is an escape from reality. Reconnecting with friends I haven't seen in 15, 20 and some even 30 years brings a flood of childhood memories of the "glory days."  I also realize there are people out there who know far more about me than I might be comfortable revealing on my own.

There is nothing wrong with remembering the good times, reconnecting with old friends, or laughing over silly stunts we pulled in college. The problem is this world's new found social media frenzy is also reconnecting people to so many things that can destroy their lives. The desire to "go back" and relive some of those rebellious moments in time. Married people seeking out their old flames with what turns out to be a tragic experiement over time.

I am not claiming I invulnerability, on the contrary, by speaking openly about the risks and dangers of "reliving my youth," maybe I will be a little more cautious, a little more circumspect, a little more transparent in my actions and behaviors.

Tribute

Tom Wheeler, Vietnam

Today I get to sit in the warmth and comfort of my office because there are others stationed in the unrelenting heat of an Iraqi desert, or the chilling cold of an Afghan mountainside. Our troops constitute a volunteer service. The men and women who defend our freedoms do so by choice, not because they are compelled to do so.

Veterans Day is more than just a pinpoint on the calendar, or a time to hang my flag on the front porch. It is a time when a grateful nation should get on her knees and thank God for our freedoms and thank the men and women who serve as his instruments in the field of battle.

To all the left-leaning doves who think that liberty and freedom can exist without a sacrifice of blood, sweat, toil and tears I invite you to move to Somalia, Sudan, or even Mexico. We need to heed the words of Winston Churchill, "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, thinking it will eat him last."

So to all our troops I say thank you. To any and all who have served our country with courage and distinction I say thank you. And to all the families who have shared their brave men and women with a grateful nation I say thank you.

Being Different

There are lots of ways to be different. Some people show their uniqueness by the way they dress, others by their strange and quirky personalities. My favorite are the people who claim to express their individuality by wearing the same new fashion trends that are sweeping the nation.

Solomon tells us, "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecc. 1:9). That puts a bit of a damper in my creative juices. Perhaps a better term than "being different" would be "set apart." When the phrase is used in a biblical setting it means "set apart for a purpose," in much the same way you take out eggs, sugar, flour and milk for the specific purpose of making cookies.

I have learned (but not often enough), that if you really want to be different, to set yourself apart from the crowd there is no greater opportunity than when things really stink. I have met Hospice patients who faced death with such dignity and faith that they inspired everyone around them. I have walked with single parents who despite the loss of a spouse, have held their heads high and focused on the well-being of their children.

How I handle adversity is what really sets me apart from the crowd. My character and true nature are best demonstrated when the deck is stacked against me. Can I persevere in times of trial? Do I respond in a kind and loving way when I feel mistreated? Someone wisely said, "You can no more blame your character on your circumstances than you can blame the mirror for your looks."

We CHOOSE the kind of person we are going to be by the actions we take. If I really want to be different, I will make better choices when faced with adversity. If I really want to be set apart for an holy calling, I will allow people to see that character is best demonstrated in times of trial. If I want to find peace within, then I must learn to manage the storms that are without.

A different approach

Over the years my approach to Bible study has changed dramatically. First, let me take you through a quick evolution of my study and preparation methods.

• Infant Stage: This is when I would lean heavily on a sermon outline book, or commentary from a competent source to tell me what I am supposed to believe and understand.
• Child Stage: I began reading and studying lots of materials, doing comparative analysis on the text and drawing informed conclusions from my study.
• Young Adult Stage: I started my study with the word. What did the Bible say? Who was it written to, what were the circumstances of the writing? What was the author trying to say to that audience? After drawing my initial conclusions I would look for others who had come to similar realizations in their works (as a means to test my theories).
• Mature Stage (or at least I hope so): I read and study the Bible as a series of letters written just for me. What is the author (God) trying to communicate into my life. The first readers of the scriptures did not have commentaries, lexicons or Ph.D's to consult when they read the text - it made an impression on each of them in a personal way.

A few years ago my mother passed away. Of all the treasured things she left behind, I most cherish a letter she had locked away for after her death. In that letter she shares her faith, love and hope for my future. When I read that letter I don't parse each word, diagram the sentence structure, but I clearly understand the theme and purpose for which it was written. My mom wants me to go to heaven. She wants me to be faithful. She loves me more than life and left me a gift to insure that I would never forget her, or her hopes and dreams for me.

Our Savior did the same thing. He left me a letter that defines his hopes and dreams for my future. It is full of practical instruction on how to live and motivitational examples of what others have done before me. You don't need a Ph.D to know what God wants for your life - just pick up the collection of letters he left for you and read them now and again.

Understanding Foreknowledge

A lot of people struggle with understanding the biblical teaching of foreknowledge. Specifically they want to know how God can know the outcome of a situation without having controlled the specific details. The longer I parent, the easier it is to understand foreknowledge. Now there is a difference in God's perfect foreknowledge and the parental equivalent that each of has. Parental foreknowlege comes through years of painful experience.

As a parent, how many times have you made statements similar to these:

• I know that isn't going to lead to anything good.
• I told them not to do it - but I just know they aren't listening to me.
• I have a really bad feeling about . . .

Call it instinct, experience or foreknowledge, but as parents we often get opportunities to learn god-like lessons in our life. The longer I parent, the more I realize how much God loves me. I have a greater appreciation of the foolishness HE puts up with and the times that he pleads with us, "don't do it, don't do it, don't do it."

My father allows me to exercise a certain level of foolishness and folly in my life. Sometimes its because I am just too stubborn to listen, at other times He allows me to fall on my face to learn a valuable lesson. As a parent I struggle with knowing what that balance is with my own children. As my children get older, I want to give them more freedom and liberty, but when you see a train wreck coming their way your first instinct is to pull them from the tracks.

The hardest part of parenting is knowing when to take pre-emptive action. I know parents who are so passive that they enable the worst kind of behavior in their children, and others who were so overbearing that once their children left home for the first time, they rebelled and experimented with every imaginable behavior. So I continue the hard task of parent children who are rapidly becoming young adults. I struggle with balance, I struggle with managing expectations, I struggle with letting go.

"God watch over my children and grant them wisdom in their daily walks. Forgive me the times I have failed them. Forgive me when my example is not as it should be. Forgive them of the foolishness of you youth. Watch over them with a careful and loving hand as they travel the path from childhood to adulthood."  Amen.

Talk to me

I was reminded today of the value of basic communication. We live in a world of acronyms, texting shorthand and impersonal communication. Between the LOL's and IDK's I get from my kids, I wonder if, as parents we are really stop to hear what our children have to say. I have been known to text my own children rather than walk up stairs and talk to them.

Most of us already know that communication is lacking in the parent-child relationship, but texting my kids when I could be having a conversation; writing notes on their Facebook walls or saying hello and running off to my man-cave really don't solve the larger problems in life.

When my son graduated from college we started having lunch together once a week. When he was in high school we would talk every night and now that he is on his own and taking on the world, I cherish those conversations more than ever. Today I had lunch with my daughter. The original design was to talk about college, her future, but it struck me just how much it means for her to tell me about her day, her friends, some crazy new song, or whatever it is on her mind.

When our children are teenagers they don't think we listen to them (maybe because we often don't listen to them). We are too busy with a hundred other things to hear some silly story about a friend getting stuck in the bathroom stall, or their unique views on politics and religion. We want them to stop, to listen to us, to show respect in an evnironment where they don't feel genuinely loved.

I am not suggestion life with our kids is all warm fuzzies. They need discipline, order, respect, but ultimatley they need to know they are loved. That happens when we stop just long enought to ask, "what is on your mind today."

I just don't get it . . .

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is it that life just stinks sometimes? Why do my plans all seem for naught, or my life doesn't seem to work out the way I planned? I understand we are supposed to have faith. I realize that God promises that "all things work together for good..." (Romans 8:28). I know that God said, "my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways..." (Isaiah 55:8), but understanding that in my head doesn't always translate to understanding that in my heart.

I am sharing my doubts and fears today because I know that I am not alone in those feelings. There are so many people who go through periods of doubt, but are afraid to voice them. If they speak up, a well meaning brother or sister might give them a spiritual placebo. You just need to have a stronger faith! You need to pray more, or study more, or . . .

I am not discounting the importance of spiritual disciplines in our lives, but as Christians we need to feel safe in telling others about our doubts and fears. I fear at times that my example may have sent the wrong message to my children. I fear that my faith is weak and I haven't always grown in my Christian virtues. I openly wonder at times why God allows me to experience some the things I experience.

But doesn't being a Christian mean that we should trust in God, understand that he has a plan, know that HE is faithful.  Yes, but I still don't understand it all at times. Job, had a similar problem. God said, "There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." (Job 1:8). Here is a man of pretty strong faith, but he questioned God; he struggled with the circumstances of his life - WHY would God let this happen to me?

At times I feel like a puppet in the hands of an angry God. Some of you may say, "Trent, how can you say that?"  It isn't about God being unfair, or unjust - it represents my challenge with the flesh. Whatever your interpretation of the events at the cross, I can still hear the voice of my Savior as he too cries out, "My God, My God, why has thou forskaen me" (Matthew 27:46).

So let us be understanding when our brethren struggle with their faith. Let us encourage them as they seek answers to the paintful questions of life. Let us remind them that they are not alone in their doubts and fears. Some of the greatest men and women of faith have also struggled.  At times I don't understand, but I strive to persevere.  May God bless your journey to its victorious conclusion.

Called to his love

I spent a good portion of my life trying to help fix people (still do that too often). You may wonder what does that mean. I would give advice, counsel people, point out the error of their ways, or maybe give them some scripture references that were relevant to the matter at hand. In other words, I spent a lot of time, energy and hot air trying to get people to see things my way.

Now I am starting to understand that maybe my approach was not the most effective. I am not a doctor or psychologist; I don't have the tools or equipment to heal the world, but I know someone who does. Jesus said, "when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). Like Andrew, my job isn't so much to fix the problems of my friends, neighbors or others in the world - my job is to lead them to the great Physician. "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and  I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28, 29).

Now this might upset a few folks, but what if we took a different approach to ministering to people. What if we "lift up Jesus," and let others be drawn to him. Rather than trying to fix things I lead them to the only person who can fix them - Jesus Christ. He has the power to forgive sin, He has the power to transform lives, He has the power of life and death.

I used to study and counsel with people and I would take them to passages of scripture that seemed relevant at the time. Don't you understand that I Cor. 6 condemns such behavior (i.e. your a sinner and your going to hell if you don't stop). If it wasn't that passage it was another that pointed out the folly of their way. I decided to try a different approach to working with sinners (me and others). "How is your relationship with God and Christ right now?"  "Are you aware that Jesus really loves you - even though life really stinks at the moment?"

You may think I have lost my mind, or that I don't care about "behavior modification," but that isn't true. I have simply realized that if I can help a person to deepen their relationship with Christ, to seek and desire to walk with Him and know Him intimately, I have a better shot at "fixing" whatever is wrong.

Let me illustrate. When I was a kid and I messed up, my father would take off his belt and remind me of the folly of my ways. Almost without exception my very next action was to go seek the love and approval of my mother.  In times of sin, troubles and disappointment more than anything in the world, I want to know I am loved.

Maybe that is what is meant by "love covers a multitude of sin."

Where is God when I need a kick in the pants?

I know, that is not your typical Christian blog beginning, but it just felt needed today. I did edit it to give it a PG rating. We all ask where God is when we are going through hardships, struggles and challenges. We plead with him when the world seems against us and there is nowhere to turn, but what about when we are just rebelliously trodding down the wrong path.

As a parent there have been times I realized my kids needed a good swift kick in the seat of their pants. I tried to reason with them, I tried timeouts and taking away privileges, but those things didn’t deter them in the least. The only thing they were going to understand was the firm, swift application of a rod, switch or yardstick to their hindside.

I think maybe God has his version of the yardstick. We sure see it in the Old Testament when he exercised his anger and wrath against his enemies. While sending the children of Israel into Babylonian Captivity was a punitive act, it was also intended to bring about repentance, but what about today? Does God have a New Testament version of taking us to the woodshed?

I am a stubborn person! There is no getting around it. I am just arrogant enough to think I’m right, that I can circumvent the rules and get away with it, only to learn that “the way of the transgressor is hard.” You really can’t escape the consequences of a rebellious heart.

That brings me to all those biblical words that stick in my throat sometimes: submission, surrender, there are even times that we are called “slaves.” That is what I always aspired to – a life of slavery. Problem is God's system works. Dylan said, “you’ve got to serve somebody. It may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but your gonna have to serve some body.” Now Bob Dylan is not my spiritual advisor, but he got it right on this one.

I can’t understand why it is so hard at times for that to sink in. My life is better, I tend to be happier and things work out when I walk with God. Jeremiah tried to tell us, “It is not in man to direct his own steps.” So knock me upside the head with a 2 X 4, send me to the woodshed, bring my heart again into submission to your will.

A Spiritual Awakening

Maybe it's my stubborn arrogance, or perhaps it is 20 +  years of pastoral counseling, but sometimes I look around at my peers and ask, "Is anyone listening?"  It has become increasingly apparant to me that our current generation operates on a very different paradigm than the one I grew up with. And with the risk of offending some of my more "established" brethren, I think there is a tremendous need for change in our churches.


Now before you call me a change agent, apostate, or a reprobate, stop and listen for a minute. Not all change is evil! Innovation is not necessarily the work of the devil and it would suit us at times to stop, listen and learn from the generation that is rapidly moving into leadership roles in our churches.


I don't know what the correct term is for the 20-40 year olds in our society. The baby boomers are getting ready for retirement, Generation X is now running Corporate America, so whatever the correct term is, we need to start listening to the NEEDS of those 20 and up.  They are dealing with problems, issues and struggles we never faced.  Pornography is epidemic, pedophiles walk the streets of our neighborhoods and our 10 year olds learn what oral sex is before they know the most basic Algebraic formulas.


So what am I hearing and what would I change?  I believe there is a resurgence of faith in our country. Young families are seeking a deeper spiritual understanding and relationship with God. We rightfully spend time teaching on doctrines and commandments, but if we fail to address the relationship side of our faith, we are missing an opportunity to serve this community.  How can we develop a more intimate and meaningful relationship with God? How can my prayers trascend the rote recitation of "give us this day our daily bread," and stir deep, meaningful exchanges with God?  I hear cries for help in understanding the Spirit's work in our daily lives.


There is a longing and yearning to know God. As I read the Psalms I sense much of this same spirit as David opened his heart and cried out for understand, fellowship and intimacy with the Most High. When we learn ourselves how to better connect with the eternal Godhead and then communicate that to the world we may just stir the next great awakening.

Wake Up

"Wake up oh sleeper, rise from the dead,  and Christ will shine on you" (Eph. 5:14).

Outside of trying to get my kids up for school, it amazes me how many people seem to walk through life in a daze, clueless to what is going on all around them. I'm not talking about the political climate, social injustice or even our current economic malaise - its our apathy and indifference to people who are hurting. I'm not talking about earthqauke victims in Haiti or starving children in Somalia, I'm talking about the guy next door, down the street, or the person sitting next to you at church.

I struggle with a growing indifference towards organized efforts to  "save the world." I have seen sinful amounts of money spent on bureaucratic waste, and religious and nonprofit leadership become mired in their own self-interest. I think we have reached a point in our society where we need a good dose of "good samaritan" teaching.

I am tired of hearing about budget deficits or why we can't do more to help our communities. It's time to wake up and realize the tremendous power of the individual. If you want to change the world for the better here are a few suggestions.

• Take a few minutes out of your day to call someone you know is hurting and just stop and listen.
• Forget about the "What's in it for me" philosophy that cripples our ability to really help another persons.
• Devote a little time to get to know your neighbors. I have lived in my new home since April and beyond the cursory "hi, how ya doin,"  I don't know any of my neighbors. I haven't had them in my home, asked if they need anything, my sole good work in my community the last 6 months has been to stake up a tree for my next door neighbor while he was out of town.

We need to wake up!!! Politicians are promising to fix our economy, to help the down trodden, that no child will be left behind. Religious organizations develop programs, set budgets and recruit workers, but you can change a life. You can make a difference right now, today. Just by picking up the telephone, walking over to your neighbor's house, paying a visit to a widow or widower - you change the world one person at time.

If you haven't figured it out, I am a little tired of the platitudes and promises, vision statements and P.R. campaigns. I think it is time we got back to a country where each man helps his neighbor. A place where we don't depend on some organized dysfunction to try to fix what is wrong with our society. It is time for each us to make a difference where it counts - with the people we interact with (or should interact with) each day.

I want to live deliberately . . .

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan- like as to put to rout all that was not life..." Henry David Thoreau

 Yesterday my son posted part of this quote on my Facebook page, stirring two passions that we both share - a love of great quotes and our passion for the outdoors. Thoreau's comments reflect the feelings and passions of many. His two years, two months and two days he spent at Walden's Pond was recorded in his journal - Walden. His reflections resonate with many concerning flawed social structures, nature and living simply.

Each year my heart yearns more and more for the simple existence. I am not sure if it is the result of years of mission work and watching most of the world struggle for their daily existence, or my deep love and passion for the beauty and splendor nature. I only know that I could be perfectly content with a small cabin, a dependable rifle and a fishing rod.

When I think of heaven, I imagine a small strip of land near a lake, or overlooking a magnificent valley; a place where there is plenty of wildlife to hunt and fish, and Dog (yes, that's his name) is sitting on the front porch sleeping contently. No phones, no internet, no HDTV, just the sounds of hoot owls in the morning and the chirp of crickets at night.  God paints the palette of the evening sky with orange, purple, golds and blues and the morning frost covers the ground like powdered sugar.

So, like Thoreau - "I want to live diliberately."

Led by the Spirit

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." (Romans 8:9-11).

In performing my daily Bible reading (and a number of blogs I frequent), I was struck with an interesting question, "How do you know if the Spirit is leading you?"  That question has lots of layers. There are those who would give the obvious answer, "is it in harmony with Biblical teaching," but that begs the question in many cases. I may have alternatives or choices that all could be in harmony with God's revealed will. Paul was specificallly called to the churches of Macedonia, but on other occasions his free-will allowed him to pursue different paths. Would preaching in Corinth be less of God's will than preaching in Philippi?

This is a dangerous question because men have a tendency to project their own will onto God. The many years I spent in singles ministry I remember hearing men and women say, "God wants me to be happy." Their answer to that "revelation" was to engage in sexual intimacy outside of marriage. Is that really what God wanted for them, or where they projecting their own desires as God's will. Yes, this is a practice that can be clearly defined by Biblical truth (I Cor. 6:12-17), but it illustrates our human nature can over-ride our spiritual path.

I have friends who are convinced that God spoke to them in dreams, others who have boldly asserted "I know this is God's will for my life." With me its not quite so clear. I know the Bible says I am led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14), but sometimes I manage to miss the road sign along the way. I can look in my rear view mirror and see what God intended, or the course we have travelled together, but I have more difficulty in reading the map to where I am supposed to be going.

God has blessed me with lots of great opportunities in life. I have worked with great organizations, served in leadership in churches and community groups, but like many I stand at a crossroads of life and ask, "God what is next?"  I have settled on a formula that works for me. Whether it is the best approach I cannot say, but here it is.

1. First, commend yourself to the right things. Read your Bible, study daily, pray often, but most importantly try to translate the things you learn into your daily living. I find when I truly make the effort to "walk in the Spirit" things seem to come together for me.
2. Second, be attuned to what is going on in your life. I believe that the Spirit works through other individuals and circumstances. We have to believe that God makes intercession or why do we pray? If we slow down and listen we may better understand the message He is trying to communicate.
3. Wait on the Lord. We all seem to want quick answers. God I need this problem solved and I need it now. I believe patience and long-suffering are two of the life skills God is constantly trying to teach us. I see it in my own life and the lives of those around me.

Am I led by the Spirit? I know the Spirit is doing His part, sometimes I fall down on mine. Yes, God, Christ and Spirit live in me, but I don't always know how they are interacting with my life.

An Understanding Heart

As  I sit here in the solitude and quiet of my office I have a few minutes to reflect before all the cares and worries of the day invade my consciousness. The last few weeks  have been filled with quiet revelations from God. No, not revelations of scripture or his divine will, but revelations into the lives of my friends and loved ones.

Almost daily over the past few weeks someone I love has shared a hurt or heartache with me. The more I stop and listen, the more I realize a lot of people are hurting. Yesterday, feeling a little overwhelmed by all that is going on in the lives of my friends I almost flippantly posted - "I need to take a day off, just so I can have enough time to pray." What a revelation that turned out to be. One after another friends asked to be added to my prayer list - humbling to say the least.

Getting to peek just beyond the flesh and bone, blood and marrow, my friends have taken off their masks just long enough to say, "hear me, hurt with me, pray for me." In these moments of vulnerability and transparency they have taught me some very important lessons.

1. I need to take my own mask off once in a while. I was taught that men need to remain strong, stand firm, that we need to be up to any task. All too often I quietly bear my burdens alone when there is a world of people who would pray for me, prop me up when I am weak and carry my load when it gets to heavy to bear.
2. I need to hear God's call to minister. I don't know why people gravitate to me with their cares and burdens, but I need to be willing to speak a blessing into their lives. Sometimes I need to speak hard truths into their lives. In either case I need to lean on God's strength and wisdom - seeking discernment as I go.
3. I need to pray daily for a compassionate and understanding heart. I don't have to have all the answers. I know I can't solve everyone's problems, but I can love people through the struggles and hardships of life for "Love covers a multitude of sin" (I Peter 4:8).

So to all my friends who have taught me so much the last few weeks - thank you. Thank you for your transparency. Thank you for trusting me enough to share your burdens. Thank you for reminding me that God has called me to minister.  One last thing - Pray for Me, Pray for Wisdom, Pray that God will always give me a tender and understanding heart.

Why I'm am Optimist

I have been criticized at times for being a little too Pollyanna in my outlook on life. I am the eternal optimist. I believe that things will be better tomorrow than they are today and regardless of how bad things get, there is always some good to draw from the bumps and bruises of life.

WHY, when the world is so messed up, when our government is out of control, when our economy is in the toilet, would I choose to put a positive spin on things. You may be thinking, "is he so naive that he doesn't see all the crime, violence and attrocities being perpetratred in the world?" Why would you choose to be an optimist in the midst of all of this.

1. Because God is in control. He may weave shades of darkness and light into the tapestry of my existence, but He sees the beauty and splendor of the pattern when He is finished with me (Romans 8:28). I trust that he will safely guide me through the valle of the shadow of death.
2. Because I am happier because of it. It may be naive. You can call me clueless, but most days I am pretty content with my life. It ain't perfect, but its pretty good. I have it better than most of the folks on this planet. I have plenty of stuff (more than I will ever need), lots and lots of food, a good job, great friends, a loving church, an amazing family. So which is better really, to be thankful for all that, or complain and moan because someone took my parking spot at the mall - I just don't get some people.
3. Because happiness is a choice. None of our lives are perfect. I have watched cancer victims slip quietly into eternity whose optimism and positive attitude was an inspiration. I have seen others with every possible advantage, grumble, complain and whine about some stupid, silly matter that robs them not only of their happiness, but any joy their "stuff" might have brought them.

So, you can criticize me, laugh at my foolish and naive approach to life - that's alright! I am still choosing happiness over sorry, optimism over pessimism and trust in God over the discouragement of men. Honest Abe was right, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their mind to be."

Do Right Regardless

A friend and reader asked about how we handle difficult relationships - particularly those that involve conflict and people who don't meet their obligations. She shared her insights that it is our responsibility to do right regardless of the circumstances. Here are a few reasons to do the honorable thing, even if others don't.

1. My children are watching me. The lessons they learn about right and wrong, good and evil, but most importantly the lessons they learn on handling difficult situations come from watching me. They learn far more from my character than they learn from my monologues. If I want my children to live good honorable lives, then I need to model that for them.

2. You're better than that. My mother always told me not to lower myself to other people's standards. When I did stumble and mess us she reminded me - "you're better than that." Why would we criticize the failings of others only to model their very same behavior? Remember the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."  Didn't Jesus also tell you to "Love your enemies, and to pray for those who persecute you" (Matt. 5:44).  Hard teachings - but we will be better people if we practice these truths.

3. Sow an act - reap a habit. Sow a habit - reap a character. Sow a character - reap a destiny. My children would get tired of me telling them, "By your actions you are determining what kind of person you will be when you grow up." How many times have you heard people say, usually after getting in trouble - "I'm really not that kind of person."  That may be true, but if you continue down that path - you will be.

The simple answer is to live a pro-active life. Make decisions based on your values, the things you know that are "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy" (Philippians 4:8).  If you make those kind of decisions, no one will ever question your character.

Deep thoughts and fun moments

For everyone who added ideas for me to blog about - thank you. I have taken them all very seriously, especially the colonoscopy recommended by my most twisted brother (you are probably not surprised). I will address each of your recommendations soon, some require more time and thought than others.

Posting the survey also got to thinking about how we are all in different places, have different needs and seeking different answers (or at times confirmation of our beliefs). That is why God gave us friends to speak into our lives. I am always touched by the comments I recieve to this blog, but even more I am humbled when someone comes up and comments (I often think no one is reading).

This week I was reminded of a book I read called "Givers and Takers." The title is self-explanatory, there are givers in this world and takers. All too often the givers are taken advantage of by the takers. That is just another reason I use this platform to try to speak into the lives of others. I want to be a giver - even if it means being taken advantage of once in a while.

So, reading through the comments of my recent poll reminded me of the deep conversations I have had with many of you, but also all the fun times I have enjoyed. One great thing about social networking is remember all the laughs, fun and trouble we caused together.

Ministry Top Ten

Over the past few months, I have been rambling on about things like compassion, understanding, relationships, etc.  I thought it might be fun to list my personal top ten list of important ministry concepts and then ask my readers to chime in.

The idea here is to share your thoughts on how to make ministries more relevant, or how as a church family we can improve our relationships, fellowship and outreach.

1. Transparency. This needs to start with leaders who share their own hurts, struggles and challenges. When the leaders are open, the church is open.
2. Acceptance. Somewhere along the way our response to people has become unbalanced. We say, "love the sinner, not the sin," but I am afraid we don't really practice it. Everyone is seeking love, acceptance and needs to belong.
3. Liberty. I wrote on this not long ago. We all want liberty extended to us because we can handle it, but we don't trust others with the same freedoms.
4. Forbearance. Sometimes we call it patience. The old KJV says, "love suffers long..." The ability to accept, be patient and allow people time to grow.
5. Non-legalistic. That is the only way I could make that one word. We need to quit laying heavy burdens on other people. Too often we just make up laws because we think we know better than God how to run things.
6. Humility. Isn't this life about bringing glory to God. Not the local church, not the preacher, not my awesome teaching style. It is only by the grace and mercy of God I am here and can do any of this.
7. Teamwork. I will never understand why we are all so territorial when it comes to church work. MY education program, MY mission point, MY, MY, MY. Let's figure out how to bring it all together for the greater good of the kingdom.
8. Kudos. Pat someone on the back every once in a while. While it is about glorifying God and working together, we all need our batteries charged now and again.
9. Forgive. What greater gift can we give one another than a spirit of forgiveness. In this way we are more like Christ than almost any other thing we do.
10. Relevant. If we are going to teach and instruct let's make it relevant. Give me some tools for my toolbox. Help me to understand how a book thousands of years old relates to me today (and it does). The Bible is relevant, its up to us to communicate that to the world.

Alright! It's your turn. Please chime in on this topic - all thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

Getting to know God

There are days I love Facebook and days I hate it. It can be a wonderful resource, or a terrible evil - a lot depends on how you use it. Over the past few years Facebook has served as a great tool to reconnect with old friends, but it has also made me realize that I have lived at least 3 distinctive lives. There were my grade school days and my friends from that era. That was followed by college days when I moved away from Michigan for good and then there has been the rest of my life and all the twists and turns it has taken.

What does that have to do with "Knowing God?" I grew up going to church, but never fully understanding the importance of having a relationship with God. I did the things high school kids do (and they weren't always consistent with godly principles). So the friends that knew me then have a certain perspective on my life. Some are somewhat perplexed that I landed in ministry and faith-based endeavors.

In college I vacillated between trying to find my Christian identity and hanging on to some old behaviors. I recall one of my love interests telling me - "you aren't cut out for ministry." By the time I graduated, my faith began to take root. I have struggled through the years with doubts, fears and personal failings, but God has always been an anchor to keep my life centered.

All that brings me back to Facebook. I am still a work in progress. I have the good fortune of having true friends that date back to my earliest childhood. I want them all to develop a relationship with God. Not just say, "I believe in God," but to really get to know him. Finding the language to communicate that to such a diverse group of friends is challenging.

In this blog (and to some degree in my life) I try more and more to be transparent. I don't want to be the "religious guy" that people with real problems can't relate to. I am also unwilling to compromise my core beliefs just to be able to relate. That only leaves me with one option!!!

To be who I am and allow the world to peek in the windows. I am a weak, failed struggling child of God. At times I sense His disappointment with me, but I am thankful for forgiveness and mercy. To all my friends past and present I would say, "make the effort to get to know God. I know you aren't perfect, you may not feel you are the religious, church going type, but His presence in your life is sustaining, nurturing and compassionate. However you remember me, I hope you can understand this - God loved me when I messed up, He loved me when I stumbled, He loves me still today with all my sin, weakness and failings.

The really great thing is - He Loves You Too!

Tug of War

So what does happen when an irresistable force meets an unmoveable object? For the past two years I have worked with a marriage ministry and that seems to be a common theme among many couples. They are caught in a viscious tug of war match to see who can secure the most emotional territory.

There is no question that in many relationships one person is working harder, doing more and trying harder than the other person. They have invested time, their emotional energy and in many cases sacrificed their personal dreams and visions for the sake of the relationship.

So what happens when you are emotionally spent? What do you do when  you are running out of rope, or about to be pulled over that imaginary line that causes you to say, "enough if enough." I have been there and I am not sure I know the answer to those questions, but here are a few suggestions.

1. Spend some time in reflection and self-evaluation. It is easy to point out the faults in another person, but harder to see them in ourselves. Do you have a friend who will be honest with you? Not one who will tell you what you want to hear, but someone who loves you enough to tell you the ugly truth about yourself. We need people like that in our lives if we ever hope to grow.
2. You are wasting your time trying to change other people. You can only change yourself. Yes, it is trite and tired, but the saying is true, "You can't change the wind, but you can adjust your sails." Focus on what you can do, how you can change, but mostly what you need to remain emotionally healthy.
3. Count the cost. I'm done!  I've had enough! I can't live like this anymore! We have all said it, sometimes even meant it, but are you willing to pay the price. Broken relationships leave scars that almost never heal. They cause financial, emotional and even collateral damage when we give up on a relationship. That doesn't mean there is never a reason to walk away, just make sure that you count the cost to your family, your checkbook, and your spiritual and emotional health before you do.

The key to winning a tug of war is endurance. Hang on one minute longer, dig in just a little deeper, find solid ground so you can center yourself.  All good advice in relationships. I know its not really about winning and losing, but it is about fighting on, digging deep and giving it your best shot.

Would God call us to failure?

I was sitting in church one Sunday when something the preacher said made me stop and think. It was something along the lines of "as long as we give our best..." That spurred me to thinking in the opposite direction, Would God actually call us to failure?

We all love those passages like Romans 8:28, "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to His purpose" or Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I don't mean to sound like Sad Sack, but life isn't always a bed of roses and the doctrine of prosperity that is preached in many pulpits across the land is counter-productive to sound spiritual growth. What about Matthew 17 when the disciples where sent out, but could not cast out the demons. Were they destined to fail? Was this designed for them to learn the importance of faith? It is hard for me to reconcile that God might actually trip me up at times, but if it is for his purpose, to teach me a lesson, to help me grow spiritually, then maybe, just maybe I am being called to fail.

There have been times in my life I gave my best and the results where miserable. Times I worked hard at my faith, battled my inner demons, fought the good fight, and the expected results just did not come. These were not selfish ambitions, they were meaningful, purposeful dreams that were trampled under foot like yesterday's trash. Like Job I just cried out  WHY?

Why would God call me to failure?  It doesn't seem consistent with His divine nature, but it is. There is so much I still need to learn, so many people I need to help, so many lives that need to be touched. I am reminded of what Christ said about Paul, "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name" (Acts 9:16).

• It is in my personal failures I learned empathy and compassion.
• In the times my goals and dreams were shattered I learned that God expected more of me.
• In days of heartache and loss the clay was softened and molded according to the potter's will.

Living for God is about surrender. Like an enemy on the battlefield of life, we cannot truly surrender all until we are utterly and completely defeated. That is when defeat is swallowed up in victory. That is when death has no more dominion over us. That is when failure has completed its work.

In need of a little editing

I remember the first time I wrote an article to be considered for professional publication. Before submitting it I had a respected teacher read it over. After reading it through a couple of times he commented, "The content is very good, but I can tell you are a little emotional about the subject matter. Put the article in a desk drawer and don't look at it for two weeks." I took his advice and sure enough two weeks later I felt differently about the content. I repeated this process two more times and when I finally submitted the article it was accepted and published in October, 1984.

Wouldn't it be great if we could go back and rewrite some of our own history. There are more than a few things I would have edited out of my past - moments of shame, times I disappointed those I love, mistakes I made as a parent. People who say, "I wouldn't change a thing because it made me the person I am today," are little selfish in my estimation - they forget that their actions impacted more lives than just their own.

I had some time this weekend for reflection and realized that I am still a work in progress. There are a lot of areas of my life that need some editing. So just to quell your thirst and curiosity, here are a few things I would have done differently.

• I would spend more time in personal communication with God. More time in meaningful prayer and more time in pursuing His will for my life.
• I would listen more and talk less. Most people aren't looking for solutions they are looking for a sympathetic ear to listen. I still have a lot of work to do in this area.
• I would have focused more on the compassion side of ministry and devoted more time to helping those who others overlooked. We spend too much time in church ministering to the healthy and neglecting the sick.
• I would have provided my children a better example of how to live. I tried to teach them the right lessons about love, respect, relationships and the important things in life, but I didn't always model those lessons in the most effective way.

The nice thing about being a writer is the ability to go back and change what you have written, delete the things that don't work and allow others input into the process (that will be another blog). The great thing about life is it's not too late to change.

Monday, Monday

I woke up this morning feeling very drained. I was already emotionally spent from the weekend with so much going on. I clearly have too many irons in the fire and too many projects to complete - at work and home. At first I thought it was just me having a tough day, then I read the feeds on some of my friend's Facebook profiles and realized I wasn't the only one.

• "When you recieve news that is just overwhelming, the only place you can go is to your knees."
• "...another day where life is kicking me in the teeth."
• "Sometimes I wish I could have done things differently but stuff happens and I'm still here."
• "I had a very long talk with myself and it didn't end well."
• "HELP!!!!!"

It reminds me of that classic CCR song, "I see the bad moon rising, I see trouble on the way, I see earthquakes and lighting, I see bad times today." Sometimes life just sucks. You can't put a happy spin on what is going on. Trying to work through the day, or even the next hour feels like you are wading through wet cement.

I am an optimistic guy. I always think that tomorrow is going to be a better day, that I am going to make the best out of what I have today, but even I can't escape the realities of life sometimes. There are days I just want to escape to some exotic destination where the sun always shines and life is simple. Other times I want to turn around and punch life right back in the face.

So spare me the platitudes! Don't try to make me feel better. I know it all turns our right in the end, but right now I am stuck in the middle. Today I will muddle through the mire and muck. I'm content to survive and fight another day. I am putting my optimism on the shelf for a little while, (and for all my friends who think I am a little too Pollyanna at times), I am going to endulge myself and remain ticked off at the world for a little while longer.

Legalism Run Rampant

There is no question that at times I struggle with authority. I am not particularly fond of rules and regulations and I probably view far too many things in this life as "suggestions."  My rebellious nature covers all but one area of my life - that is my view of Biblical Authority. The Bible is God-breathed, inspired, infallable and innerrant - of this I have no doubt.

My problem isn't with the Bible, it's laws or precepts, but with the individual's interpretation of the Bible. Most of you recall the passage, "no prophecy of scripture is given for private interpretation..." (2 Peter 1:20), still we insist on making silly, foolish laws that suit our own personal interpretation. "You have to wear a tie, if you are serving the Lord's supper" or "raising your hands in prayer or song is a distraction to other worshippers." I could start a lengthy list of all the foolish laws and rules we make that suit our personal preference for worship, for Christian living, for personal conduct, etc.

Most of those objections begin with I THINK, "I think God wants us to give him our best," or "I don't think a Christian should . . ."  We all have opinions, but when we begin to subtitute those opinions for law we run into problems.  I can hear someone right now thinking, "well God does want our best."  I have no argument with that, it is our opinionated application of that belief that usually gets us into trouble. Our opinion of what is best is an arbitrary standard. God on the other hand is looking at my heart, which to be perfectly honest is of much great concern to me than men's opinions.

The problem arises because of our applicaiton of Christian liberty. I want this liberty extended to me when I seek to "work out my own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12), but I am reluctant to let my brother or sister do the same. I don't trust their judgment, reverence or interpretation of the scriptures. Even worse, I don't respect those areas that do allow us to exercise personal choice.

We all have a lot of burdens we carry in life. I pray we will be cautious not to add to another's burden by heaping on them laws, rules and opinions that they cannot bear.

I want to wallow . . .

I remember when my daughter was in her early teens and suffered some devastating event in her life (like breaking up with a boyfriend). She didn't run to therapy, or go to her room and burn all of his pictures - she had a very simple approach to her moments of despair - "WALLOW."  For her that meant renting a funny movie, inviting a friend over to help skewer the EX and consume large quantities of Blue Bell Ice Cream (I really should be getting an ice cream endorsement here).

I am 51 and really not much different. When life gives me lemons I am not interested in making lemonade. I am not ready to suck it up and get on with life. What I really want, is to go to my man cave with a large meat-lover's pizza (Pizza Hutt endorsement embedded here), bag of chips and plenty of liquid refreshment. Let me close the door and for the next few days (especially if its a weekend), leave me alone to watch football, cop shows and movies where lots of things get blown up. I guess that is a man's answer to wallowing.

If I find myself too sedentary, then I may want to get out in the woods and shoot something, or get in a pick up football game and hit somebody. It is amazing how a little carnage (whether on television, or on the field of competition), can sooth the restless soul.

What HE said.

Jesus reminds us, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32). Far too many in our society view the idea of absolute truth as confining, restrictive and legalistic. The idea that someone would suggest there is an absolute right or wrong, good or evil, truth or error is offensive to many.

For just a minute look at the end of this verse! The truth shall make you free. Freedom, liberty, release from the bondage and oppression that plagues our lives - now that is an appealing concept. Why do some death row inmates finally confess, just before their lives are taken? They are seeking freedom from the guilt, pain and in many cases looking for insurance against the unknown.

Consider the sports world. Andy Pettit confesses to using performance enhancing drugs and the country quickly forgives him. Roger Clemons on the other hand has lost the respect of many and may find himself serving time in a Federal Prison.

There is a clarity that comes when we acknowledge there is an absolute set of standards that we should live by. Understanding truth frees me from the worries of political correctness, religious ambiguity and moral terpitude. I don't have to apologize for how I live, for I walk according to a higher standard.

I believe what HE said! The Bible is the standard for absolute truth. It is not subject to the whims of society, or the imposition of governments. I don't view it as a book of thou shalts, or thou shalt nots - I see it as the key that unlocks the shackles of sin and made me free.

Easy Button

Wouldn't it be great if life came with an EASY button. Yes, I sometimes shop at Staples, but that doesn't seem to help when you get to the really sticky situations in life. Unfortunatley, the easy path is usually the one that leads us away from our hopes and dreams. Rather than traveling through uncharted territories, or exploring new opportunities, taking the easy path usually takes down the same course that millions of others have travelled.

Most of us have probably heard the quote, "Pioneers take all the arrows." There certainly is danger in being the first to journey into brave new worlds, but I heard a great spin on that old addage that inspired me.  "Pioneers take all the arrows, but they also have the biggest ranches." I have taken a lot of arrows in my life, but I have also been rewarded with blessings few get to experience.  Watching the sun rise over the Mt. Cook in the Southern Alps, hearing the morning drums, followed by the soft echo of Christian hymns in the jungles of Africa, or building homes for those who lost everything after Hurricanes devastated Honduras. These are riches that far surpass any material gain I have ever enjoyed.

There have been many times in my life when I prayed that God would make my path EASY. Fortunately for me He had other plans. The trials, the tragedies and the heartaches of life have all been training grounds to minister to others. There have been times when I sought riches, wealth, fame and prestige, but God reminded me that life is most rewarding when I serve, when I humble myself, when I fulfill his plan for my life. So go ahead, hit the easy button, but if you do - you are missing out on the blessings that come through struggle and hardship.

The Let Down

Yesterday was a day of clarity, one of those salient moments when God reveals himself in all his glory. The overwhelming sense of security and confidence brings reassurance and hope as we weave through the struggles of life. Like many before me, I run the risk of that emotional and spiritual high being followed by a devastating low.

Elijah had just defeated the prophets of Baal when he fled to the wilderness fearful and depressed. He felt alone in his battle for righteousness and for a time the fatigue and opposition blinded him to what God was doing.

Today I am just dog-tired. I feel as though every last ounce of my energy has been sucked out of me. If I am not careful, I can fall into the same dejected state that Elijah found himself in. At least this morning I have one advantage - AWARENESS.  I know I am tired, I know I have a lot on my plate today, I know that after a spiritual victory that Satan is going to regroup and attack from a flanking position.

I have a brilliant strategy for times like this. Just get through the day without doing anything stupid. I will do all the good things people tell us to do: pray, read my bible, etc., but my primary strategy for today is persevere and be ready to fight another day. Sometimes a boxer takes a round off to regain his strength, Jesus used to retire from the multitudes for prayer and solitude with His Father.

So now its time for a cup of coffee, a moment of prayer, and a detemination to fight through the lethargy of the day after.

Humbled

I bow today in humble submission to the King of kings and Lord of lords. I am reminded of his fatherly presence in my life. Though I have walked in the path of the prodigal, sat in the seat of the scoffer, and revelled at times in my arrogance and disobedience - HE is always there.

Deep within the marrow of my bones I understand the foolish and fickle Israelites. As they stood at the seashore with the armies of Egypt nipping at their heals they felt hopeless and without escape. "Where shall we go, who will deliver us, it would have been better to be slaves in Israel, than to die in the wilderness." Hopelessness, fear and despair were simply the precursors of the majesty and deliverance of God Almighty. When we have no where else to turn, when the best efforts of men and angels cannot deliver us, it is there that my Father stands ready.

• My God delivered Israel and destroyed 185,000 Assyrians!
• He stopped the sun and suspended the course of nature.
• He calmed the seas, delivered Peter from prison, and placed every enemy under his feet.

How small is my mind when I loose hope, lack trust, and lean on my own understanding? He subdued kingdoms, brought down the most powerful nations on earth, made kings of out shepherds, prophets out of farmers, rulers out of convicts and turned a band of common fishermen into voices that changed the world.

Great is our God who brings deliverance from places we do not know. Our God who reveals himself through the majesty of a phone call, or the tender embrace of a friend. He may part the sea to defeat the armies of our enemies, or lead us to a treasure hidden in a field. The only limitations in my deliverance are the smallness of my mind, the weakness of my faith, and the abandonment of my hope.

Great is my God.

Trust Me

TRUST ME! I don't know how many times God has spoken those words to me, but for some reason this weekend they began to resonate. I have really felt the pressure from a lot of different directions lately and I am not always sure how it will all work out. To be perfectly honest, I am not Mr. Sunshine when I start feeling tired, stressed and losing control.

I'm not sure where the sense of peace comes from. There are questions, important questions about life and my future that are unresolved right now - but I hear God calling me to trust Him.

On the way to work I was reminded of so many others who had this challenge put before them. While those exact words may not be present in the text, there are so many examples of God calling the faithful to trust Him. David was being pursued by his enemies, in danger of losing his life, hiding in the camps of Israel's enemies. There was sense in which God was saying, "do you trust me to make you King?"

Job sufferred financial, familial and personal loss that few of us can imagine. He was frustrated, confused and distraught over the circumstances of life. He cried out the prayer that many of us share when life seems to hard to handle, "Why Me?" God's answer was pointed and direct. "Where were you when I framed the earth, when I shaped the planets, when I created the great expanse of the sea?"  God wanted Job to know that he was in no position to question the wisdom of the Creator and sustainer of all, but Job was also being called to Trust God.

Abraham was called to trust God to fulfill a laundry list of promises; Elijah was challenged to put his trust in the Lord when he fled from Jezebel and Gideon had be believe that God could conquer their enemies with only 300 men.

So now its my turn. Tired, frustrated and stretched to my limits, God whispers softly - do you trust me? Like a small child seeking his Father's approval I respond - "I'm trying Lord, I really am."

Today

It's Sunday, August 22, 2010. What's so special about today? As trite as it may sound, it is the first day of the rest of my life. I wish I could say that I start today without any baggage, history or problems, but 51 years of living makes that impossible. The only way I can repair the challenges of the past and insure a productive and fulfilling future is to change how I live today.

Yes, I have been at this place in my life before - fed up, determined and committed to positive change. How many times have I said, "I am going to eat better, exercise, or work on my personal goals. This time it is going to be different." That is when the voice of doubt and discouragement tries to kick in. What is different this time?  Not a lot really!

Win or lose, victory or defeat, trial or triumph - there have been some very basic character triats that keep me going, keep me believing, keep me moving in the direction of my dreams.

• Optimism. I believe we can change the future. I believe that God has endowed us with power, given us His Spirit, and wants what is best for His children. I can get kicked in the gut today and still believe that tomorrow is going to be a better day.
• Opportunity. Everywhere I look there are opportunities for achievement. You don't agree? What about personal fitness. I can eat better, exercise and take steps to being a healthier me. Are you aware in the midst of this lousy economy people are starting new businesses, beginning new careers and pursuing opportunities they have dreamed about for a lifetime.
• Opposition. We were born into this world with a survival instinct. You have to fight for the things you want. Life isn't delivered to you on a silver platter. I'm sorry but your fortune cookie probably doesn't have today's winning lottery numbers on it. Opposition to our muscles us make us stronger, opposition in life isn't much different. Overcome just one obstacle today and you will be better because of it.

So, thank you father for another day. A day of opportunities!  A day of change! A day of renewal! Forgive me for the failures of yesterday and lead me through the land mines in my tomorrows, but "this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Ministering to the fringes

I still remember my phone ringing at 2:00 am and crawling out of bed to visit a brother who was sitting in a county jail. I sat with a mother who had just learned her son had overdosed for the 3rd time and they didn't know if he would make it through. I have visited prisons, drug treatment programs and churches that minister to the fringes of our society. Life isn't quite as clean and antiseptic in those communities.

This blog is for those of us who "don't get out much." We attend worship in our Easter Sunday dresses, put on our blue blazer and and sing, "more of Him and less of me." I don't mean to criticize the worship of the Lord's church, but I am reminded of a sign I once saw mounted over the exit of a small country church, "Enter to worship, leave to serve."

I get most frustrated with our petty little arguments over how many (and what kind) of songs to sing, whether the service ran too long, while billions are lost in sin, our own brothers and sisters are caught in the mire of complacency and contempt, and all around us the world is hungry, hurting and without God in their lives.

Occassionally, I get rebuked for the "plain-talk" approach I take in my blog. This isn't inspired, it's not even Sunday morning Bible-class (though sometimes I think it should be), its my personal ramblings on life and the world we live in. Get your head out of the ground. Step outside the comfort of your insulated, air-conditioned houses and look around at the world. Marriages are collapsing at alarming rates, children are dying because they don't have clean water to drink, and our own offspring are caught in the morass of a culture that looks more like the hog pen the prodigal son wallowed in than it does anything resembling goodness and godliness.

The problem is simple to identify: I don't want to get my hands dirty. I don't want my phone ringing at 2:00 am when I am trying to sleep. I don't want to forgo dinner and a movie in order to feed hungry children. The problem is simple - I'm SELFISH! 

I can preach and rant and rave about adultery, murder, covetous and a multitude of other sins (e.g. Romans 1), but my sins of omission are just as black and heinous and disgusting before God. Edgar A. Guest was right when he said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Blessed be the name of the Lord

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the Lord be blessed."  (Job 1:21).

How many of us come anywhere close to having the spirit and forbearance of Job? We moan and complain if the pizza delivery guy is 5 minutes late. I can't imagine losing my children, my health, and my posessions before I can stop to take a breath. Add to that a nagging wife and some well-intentioned, but misinformed friends and I think any sense of optimism I had would be long gone.

What does it take for us to put life in the proper perspective (God's perspective)? We are more like Job than we stop to think about - at least the pre-trial Job. We are wealthy beyond imagination (yes, most of us are in the top 1% of wage earners in the world). I can't speak for everyone, but I have a great family, good job, wonderful friends and so much to stop and be thankful for. To be perfectly frank - it scares me!

Job was selected by God because he was faithful, "there is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil" (Job 1:8). I, on the other hand, am seriously lacking in many of those areas. I don't think God is going to single me out because of my lily-white character, but he might decide I need a little lesson in humility and self-sacrifice.

My phone has been ringing a lot lately with opportunities to serve really worthy organizations. A humanitarian aid agency drilling water wells in Ethiopia and Sudan, a children's home working with our Native American populations and Christian schools that are training men and women to spread God's word across the continent of Africa. These organizations are struggling while I sit in my recliner with a cold Coke and a bag of chips, frustrated because they aren't showing my favorite movie in high-definition.

Like it or not, Job is right. "Naked we come from out mother's womb, and naked we will return." All the things we accumulate in this life are just things that will return to the dust. Those things that truly endure center around the lives that I touch, and the people that I serve.

Lost in something bigger than me . .

My life has taken me all over the map (personally, spiritually as well as geographically). As I look back at my highs and lows, I find it interesting that the most rewarding times, the times I found the most peace and personal fulfillment where those times I was lost in something bigger than myself.

I remember the joyous faces of small children as we handed out shoes in a small village in Honduras, teenagers who got their first look at how most of the world lives and sleeping through hot African summers without a hint of air conditioning, or even the simplest creature comforts. Those were good times!!!

So if happiness and fulfillment come from something other than flat panel televisions, Iphones, or Lexus convertables why are we all so hell-bent on having more stuff. Once we get them we have to insure them, clean them, service them and and worry about them. Don't scratch the leather interior, don't leave fingerprints on the t.v. screen, and then there are the pesky finance charges.

I always tried to tell my kids, "people are more important than things." Last week I took 15 minutes out of my schedule and went to visit a friend's mother in an assisted living facility. You would have thought I offered my first-born on an altar of fire. Not only did her mom appreciate the visit, but she flooded me with compliments and appreciation.  Can't buy that with a shiney new dollar.

So, I find myself once again at the crossroads of life, hoping this time I am a little wiser. I think God has spent the past five decades preparing me to loose myself in something better.

A Five Second Sermon

I was sitting in worship recently (and actually listening) when it struck me how often we we preach little 5 second sermons without even realizing it. While one of the men was serving upfront, he made a very brief parenthetical comment that revealed to me exactly what he believed on a particular topic. It caused me to pause and consider the siginificance of the little things we say:

1. How often do I miss the important nuances of another's speech because I am not paying attention? Whether it is my spouse, children, or something being taught in worship - am I really zoned in on what others are saying.
2. What am I revealing about myself. All too often my tongue goes unchecked and people get a short little, five-second glimpse of who I really am. In those moments all I can do is hope they aren't paying attention.
3. Listening is becoming a lost art. We are distracted by television and our computer monitors, we are to consumed with what we want to say, or we are simply inconsiderate of others. If you want to be a reallly good friend, or really learn what makes another person tick - shut up and listen.

I think we have all had those moments when we are pulled back to consciousness and ask, "Did I really just hear that?" Imagine what life would be like if we really stopped to listen once in awhile.