Signing on the Dotted Line

Last Sunday, we began a series called "Six Steps to a New Me". Ephesians 4 explains that we should stop living like the unsaved and begin looking like and acting like Christ. In fact, we are called to be the ambassadors of Christ and thus we represent Him here on earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. What comes next is truly amazing – Paul explains that since we are supposed to live in the "new self" and live righteously and holy then here are some things we can do to show it.

Step 1: Watch My Mouth – Ephesians 4:25, 29 5:4 and 19,20

What we say is a reflection of what is in our hearts (Luke 6:45) and thus if Christ is in our hearts then we should say things that reflect His character. These verses tell us what NOT to say and then what TO say! Check it out.

Also, Psalm 141:3 says "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord and keep watch over the doors of my lips"

How are you doing?

Are you speaking words that HONOR others?

Are you saying words that are HEALING?

Are you using words in ways that HELP?

Ephesians 4:29 commands us to do just that.

Step 2: Clean my Heart – Ephesians 4:26,27; 4:30-32 and 5:18

To make sure that my mouth is behaving properly – I have to clean out my heart. "Of what?" You ask… Of anger – because by harboring anger we give permission to the devil to derail our lives. Verses 30-32 explain that anger brings bitterness and rage that eventually pour out in slanderous words, physical fights and acts that are intended to hurt others. Instead… INSTEAD…

forgive.

Let it go and forgive – clean it out. Move on. Never bring it back up. Look forward to the future. Renew relationships. Be compassionate to each other.

Live filled with the Spirit.

Stop burying things and then stacking other things on top of them… You cannot let time heal something you have not forgiven. Time does not heal it only build up scar tissue or a big huge scab – then something happens and RIPS it wide open again. Forgiveness allows us to move on and become family again.

THIS is the step to cleaning out our hearts – THEN, we fill it with the Holy Spirit and listen to His voice. Joy comes through forgiveness.

Proverbs 4:23-24 says "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. {24} Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips."

It is a battle BUT the Spirit in us gives us strength and the encouragement of others in our family gives us hope.

65 people signed a paper on Sunday to commit to working on these steps – (and 4 more to follow) – they also signed to say they are willing to be accountable to others who have signed the same page. It's a start.

Christmas "Sunday" Morning Excitement

One of my favorite Sundays of the year is the Sunday before Christmas! It always seems like there is a buzz of excitement, an extra portion of good cheer and special greeting and hugs. It seems like there are kids that are REALLY over the top excited about the next week! Christmass break for the school age kids has begun. Everyone is asking "What are you doing over Christmas?" and the service is usually just right!
I am grateful for a church full of love, mercy, grace and compassion. It seems this way almost always and yet right now even moreso.
Yesterday, good friends of ours, Dave and Sue Knight, and my wife and I were able to get together and sort out all of the "Have a Heart" food items for the six families (five from Osceola Grace and one we are connecting with through Awana) for which we collected food and gifts for the holidays. We had a ball and this morning and one night this week we all get to deliver these special gifts thanks to the generosity of MY church family.
I love my church family - I really do. Even when we behave just like family and have squabbles. It is always good to know that forgiveness is there. A quick smile or hug to heal the wounds that we cause each other. A special note or card.
God has placed us together in this body to work side by side to expand His kingdom for His glory. There is no other place I would rather be!
Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas Tree “Hunting”

I think it is funny, or weird, or at least - there must be a better explanation for it than I know - BUT... isn't it funny that we spend money to go out in the cold and snow to find the perfect looking Christmas Tree and then - instead of admiring it - we KILL it and bring it home. We even go to a "Tree Haven" to hunt and kill. Does that even seem fair?

I know, it isn't like we are hunting for food - we aren't going to eat it or freeze it for later. We are going to bring it home, put it in our house in a pot of water for four or five weeks, decorate it with lights and meaningful ornaments and admire it! We are going to place Christmas presents under it and all around it. But did the tree really have a chance?

But all for what? To throw it out a week or two after Christmas. However, we have a blast with the experience! As pointless as I make it seem, for our family - it is an experience.
We pose in front of the "perfect tree". We take turns cutting the tree trunk!

We enjoy the "hunt" – we even posed with Santa!When it is all said and done – why? Because as a family, we get to make memories and write a new chapter in the story of our lives. And that, my friends, makes our lives more complete!

What do you do to make the holidays special or happily memorable?

Christmas Sacrifices

It is so cool to be able to see the way our church body comes alive when called to help those that are less fortunate this time of the year. Just two weeks ago we started a quick drive to Christmas by putting together a Christmas tree with hearts on it that had various needs of six different families. God has made these needs apparent and it was exciting to see the hearts leave the tree that first Sunday! We have seen people sign up to bring in food for those families, too!

James says "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. {16} If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? {17} In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. {18} But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."

Sometimes, you have to give up some of what you have in mind for yourself to meet the needs of others – Jesus taught it. Jesus modeled it. Jesus challenges us to do it. The real question is… are you sacrificing to meet the needs or simply doing it from out of your abundance?

Christ sacrificed.

Christ walked away from the privilege of heaven.

Christ set aside His rights.

Am I like Christ? Or do I hang on to what I deserve or have earned for myself through hard work?

We are instructed to think, live and respond in a manner that is different than the world. DO WE? Do YOU?

Do you forgive like God has?

Do you love like God does?

Do you think with the mind of Christ? Are you sure? Have you examined yourself lately in light of the Word of God?

 

I love seeing my church family behave like a Christ – but is it only for a season? Is it a lifestyle? Are we LIVING the part every day?

I think we are striving to live the part – From what I see and hear, people are letting the Word of God change them – I know it's changing me. I think there is a new and fresh feeling around Osceola Grace. Let's connect to the body and to the Head. Let's BE Christ all year long!

Anticipating Christmas

I have loved Christmas since I was a little kid – even if my Christmases were not filled with all kinds of toys – I still loved all that came with it! I remember one year – I don't know how old I was exactly – around 7 – 9 years old… and I was sick, soooo sick and missed a lot of school leading up to Christmas. It seems like no one was home but me – I am not sure how that worked since I was so young but I remember waking up in the early evening to a darkened house and hearing sleigh bells!

I was sure that it was Santa and then as I thought about it I knew it was too early for Santa by at least a week. So what was it? I raced around the house, sure that I was going to see a sleigh settle in our yard from above – or something special anyway! I looked out the back window and yet the sound seemed fainter there so I ran out into the living room and looked out our picture window up into the sky so sure that I was going to see Santa and his sleigh coming to OUR house – WAY EARLY!

Suddenly there were voices! What? Where? I slowly turned and realized that the stereo was left on and a Christmas song was playing on the radio. WOW – he wasn't early and I wasn't completely crazy. But I still have that same anticipation for Christmas morning. I look so forward to the joy on everyone's faces and the fun we have as a family. This is a cool season and the greatest part is the anticipation for me that it is really ALL about Jesus. Not me – not my gifts – but about the gift that God gave to us in His only Son.
I anticipate seeing God do great things this holiday season and look forward to a wonderfully blessed 2010!

What Were We Thinking?

Jeremiah 10:3-5 says,

"…For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. {4} They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. {5} Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good."

    Are we not just like these pagan idol worshippers sometimes? It seems like we work so hard to create something that we think has such incredible value and then we let it run our lives. What is that? Why do we do that? We create a business that becomes something that occupies all of our time and energy and mental power. We create a program that requires everything we have to maintain it and we are consumed by the program needs. We work hard, save money, buy something really nice like a condo, timeshare, massive vacation, a boat, a lake cottage or a camper! Then we spend all of our time and energy planning around how to make the best use of IT! Certainly, we do not worship those things. Certainly, we do not let them power over us. Certainly, we don't spend everything that we have to maintain, preserve or improve our "idol" so that it will not topple over. And yet – often there is something that seems to draw us in like that.

What is it for you?

Jeremiah 10:6-7 says there is only One who is worthy of that type of worship. Only One who we can honor or revere that actually deserves it!

"No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. {7} Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you."

 

There is no one like our God. There is no THING like our God! I am ascribing honor and glory to the only one worthy of worship – The Lord God Almighty is His name (vs 16)!

I Will Praise You …

There are so many days that I get up and begin my day with a time of reading the Bible and praying. It is a habit and yet it is sometimes so "routine" that I forget what I am doing and why. I read through a few passages and make a few notes and sometimes write in my journal – those are some of the most meaningful times because I have to intentionally think about what I am writing – and then I pray…God thanks for …Help me with…Help so and so… Bless the missionaries… I know, it is not always that routine or mundane and it is normally very specific rather than vague generalities but some days it sounds so repetitive and, yes, selfish.

Psalm 138 – whoa… no attention on me here! In fact – the focus is all on praising God! how? "with all my heart". I realize that there are so many times that I do not praise Him enough but even when I do – I am not doing it with ALL my heart (usually) because of the other distractions that go on. This Psalm teaches me to focus my attention on praising Him and being a testimony before others about Him.

Bowing down – is my heart submitted to my heart's Creator?

Do I exalt the name and word of God above all other things?

God deserves our praise and worship. God does not NEED it but He is the only one WORTHY of it. When we praise Him, when we submit to Him, when we acknowledge Him before all men, when we call out to Him because we know that He is all we need and He is the only supplier of that which we need…then we find ourselves being under His care, protection, His salvation.

Verse 8 – "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever, do not abandon the works of your hands."

I will praise you because that is all I really can do.

Not Too Creative

So, I'm not that great at titles for blogs so forget the title and just read...
Ryan is doing well physically. He was able to play on Friday which was a big concern for him. He had a blast, helped convert a 3rd and long into a first down at a critical time of the game, he helped his team win the game against John Glenn.
We took Tim back to Malone yesterday - what a great trip. 5 hours of singing worship songs together with Cari and Tim was great. We left him after a few short hours there and drove the five hours home. I miss him this time. Last year, we were not the best of friends but this summer he grew so much spiritually that I truly believe he is seeking God's best for his life now. It's still a battle for him just as it is for me and I admire him for sticking with it.
I saw Clint at church today - it is strange to see him and not spend so much time together. He and his lovely wife are making their lives together and I am proud of the man that he has become. Still, i pray for him daily because I know how hard it can be.
Friday, Tim and I called Pulse FM at the same time trying to win tickets to ND Women's Volleyball (4 tickets)...trying to be caller #6 or #7. I got answered as #6 and he got in as #7 - technically we both won but they only gave it to won of us since we are related. Anyway, we took our volleyball player, Jenna, today after church to see them. Not so exciting but it was actually cool to find that we won SEASON TICKETS not just for the one game. I guess we'll be back!
I love my wife - she is the greatest person in my life and my support when I am down.
So that is it - I love my family - God is good.
I know I have shared a lot of the struggles of my family lately - thank you for praying. I know we are not out of the woods with Ryan yet but things have been looking good and your prayers are cherished - keep up the battle!

Surprise Surprise

So I went for another round of blood work this morning with Ryan. We waited for the least amount of time so far - maybe 15 minutes - to get the results. The nurse opens the door and says come on back. Then right in the door way she says - "It's 32,000 - sorry..." On Monday his platelet count was 31,000 so we were hoping it was going to double or come close at least. He has been on steriods for 8 days and we anticipated a huge jump but it did not happen.
She offered to let us stay and talk to the doc but we all know that he set the bar at 100,000 for playing football and for getting off the drugs so what can he tell us that will help?
He comes in and looks at the numbers and smiles and say "Very good, very good" (in his chinese accent :) - i have not yet found out where he is from in China...my goal for next weeek). I was wondering why that was very good...it did not seem like we were getting anywhere.
"So Doc, is there another test that should be done to see if there is something more going on here?" He tells me that there is nothing else to really do except wait - they will go up in the coming weeks. Next question: "Should we change his diet or give him supplements? Maybe a tranfusion to get him more platelets?"
Again - he tells me that the platelets are good andthen he goes into this long explanation that he had to do two times for me to get but it was about how the platelets are winning and the antibodies are dying at a faster rate then the platelets so we are on the right track. And " oh...just come back once next week for tests and you can play tomorrow night. ok?"
What?
Play football? "But I thought you said 100,000 or at least 65,000?"
The answer, "No, He can play...you are stable now. 30,000 is very healthy but we need to monitor you weekly over the next couple of months til they get to 100,000 then we back down the steriods. you can play"
Needless to say - I am puzzled but Ryan is elated - along with Tim, who gets to see his brother play before he heads to Ohio for the first semester of his sophomore year at Malone Univ.
God is crazy...and great... and mighty...He turns hearts (and medical decisions and conditions) as He wishes and we are just asked to obey Him, love Him and praise Him.
So, I do.
I love you God. I will praise you wherever I go. I wil strive to obey your precepts so that I can honor you more each day. Thanks. thanks. You are so good.

Longer Ordeal Than We Want

Ryan's platelets are STILL at 14,000...He is starting a daily steroid treatment today and will maintain this until the levels are up to an acceptable measure. The doctor decided to skip the bone marrow test because everything else in his blood work is perfect and the blood smear looks normal and clear (except for lack of platelets). This is the best news so far. Everything that we have learned about this disorder shows that it takes a while to recover from but if it is an "acute" form of ITP then 90% of the people recover completely within 6 months. The steroids should be able to cause the platelets to increase quicker and stronger so that they will be up to acceptable levels before real long (I still don't know what time frame to put on that.

Next up: More blood work (a full panel) on Monday and Thursday of next week.

Side Note: He cannot play football until his platelets are up to 75,000 to 100,000.

Ryan is learning what it means to try to maintain a positive attitude and trust God to accomplish His plans even when they are not in line with his plans! It is hard but he is trying. Pray that he grows through all of this.

God is Overall

Last week began a challenge to our depth of trust and faith in the God whom we serve….My wife posted this note on her Facebook account last week (August 11)

"I took Ryan to the doctor today to check out a huge bruise on his arm from a football injury. The doctor ordered an x-ray and some routine blood work. The arm is not broken, so we were sent on our way.

I left the Elkhart Clinic, drove to Twin Branch to meet friends for ice cream and my phone rang. The nurse insisted that we return to the clinic right away for a repeat of the blood work - Ryan's platelet count is way to low. So we grabbed our ice cream, I left Jenna with the other family, and we headed straight back to the lab. When we arrived at the lab, the receptionist told me that the nurse left specific instructions to NOT leave the clinic, but to head directly to the doctor's office to wait for results. (She said, "We are running this again, STAT.") That didn't sound good.

We waited about 20 min., and the doctor called us back to an exam room to inform us that Ryan's platelets ARE too low, the doctor had already called the hematologist/oncologist next door to see Ryan NOW. (Normal range is 130,000 to 300,000 and Ryan's count was 10,000.)

SO- by this time I'm getting freaked out. Ryan texted Greg to let him know what's going on, Greg immediately came to the clinic. We met with the specialist, he questioned us about cancer in the family, bruises, fevers, rashes, tiredness, etc.....nothing is really going on with Ryan that gave the doctor any huge red flags. He really has no other symptoms.

Right now Ryan is being treated for ITP- it's a big long medical word that means "low platelet count." He is on steroids to try to bring the count up. He will have blood work on Thursday and Monday, and see the doctor next Wednesday to see if there is any sign of improvement. If there is not, Ryan must undergo a bone marrow test. That's not good. Typically, people with ITP get the steroids and they are fine the rest of their lives.

Ryan is temporarily benched from football. VERY upset kid. He feels fine. This is his third season of missing the opening games due to illnesses. But if he plays and gets hurt, he could bleed to death or if he has a head injury it could be life-threatening.

So, please pray. We are already so thankful that Ryan hasn't been hurt seriously on the field! We could've found out about this in the middle of a game, and the end result would be devastating. We are putting our trust in the God we serve."

Then on Thursday, August 13:

Cari wrote: "Lab work results: Ryan's platelets are up to 28,000. That's progress! Thanks for all the encouraging words and especially your prayers."

Then back to the doctor on Monday, August 17 (two times):

Part ONE:

Cari wrote: "More blood work this morning: Ryan's platelets have dropped from 28,000 to 14,000 and the doctor wants to see him this afternoon. Please pray."

Part TWO:

Cari wrote: "Waiting is so frustrating. We have spent much of today waiting. Waiting for blood to be drawn, waiting for the results for an hour to no avail, came home and waited for the nurse to call with those results, waited for an hour to see the doctor this afternoon. I guess that room just past the receptionist is named accurately: "Waiting Room" The sign on the door should read: "Welcome to our freezing cold waiting room." :)

Nothing new to report. We have to just WAIT and see if his platelets increase. Ryan has more bloodwork on Thursday morning. If there is no improvement, Ryan will have a bone marrow procedure in the office. We are praising God that all his other levels are normal. The doctor has not seen any pre-cancer cells in the blood smear under a microscope. That's all great news! We are going to wait on the Lord now.

Many thanks to all of you who are praying. We know we are surrounded by people who love us and who trust our God. Your thoughts, prayers, encouraging words and verses are greatly appreciated."

Thanks for praying – ask God to help us to be able to live out HIS purpose to HIS glory through all of this!

Crazy Love

I am so excited about the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. In fact, it is the one book (other than the Bible) that I have referred with excitement to my church as recommended reading material. I love the simplicity with which Chan writes and yet the heartfelt challenges that he lays out there to help us reframe our thinking and attitude toward a magnificent and almighty God!
Jesus said that the greatest commandment for us to fulfill was "to love the Lord Your God with all your heart, soul and mind." Am I even capable of that kind of love? i know that I am but only through my life with God at the helm.
Then...Jesus adds the cherry on top... "and the second is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself." Whoa...ok. I can strive to love God with all that I have but then what's left for my neighbor, whom I may not especially get along with or even know at all?
The only thing left is actually what God grants us - an outpouring of love from a heart that is filled with love toward God. I cannot do it alone or even in my own power or desire - because when left to myself - I would rahter love myself. So the only alternative is to love God and leave it all on the field and then - God returns to me what I need to love - truly love - those that are my community, my neighbor.
God, help me to love you like I never have before and in doing so to learn to love others as I love myself.

Steamboat Springs CO for Vacation

What a vacation! We took three weeks at one time (at the direction of the Elder Board) and we able to just have a fun time relaxing and refreshing without a huge amount of pressure. We had received a gift of a timeshare package that we redeemed to go to Steamboat Springs CO (why? because we love Colorado and had not been there since college) so we spent seven nights and eight days at an amazing resort condo in the mountains. It was beautiful and so was the weather. The nice part was we planned the vacation so we had three to four days before we left to prepare for vacation and three or four days afterward to refresh instead of rushing back to work right away. That is the way to do it!

In Steamboat we:

• Rode horses in the mountains
  
• Rode Alpine Slides down a mountainside


• Watched a Ski Jump competition (with no snow!) pretty cool
  
• Watched a rodeo


• Saw the most amazing fireworks display from three different mountaintops simultaneously!


• Watched a couple of little league Triple Crown Series baseball games
• Enjoyed the Strawberry Park Hot Springs – hot hot hot…
  
• Relaxed by a pool and enjoyed a hot tub most every night
• Grilled out and ate out!
  And we stayed up late and slept in almost every day! What a blast!

Let’s Fight the Real Battle

Why do we struggle and argue and have conflict in the church body? How about… because we are focusing our energy in the wrong place. We argue with each other, we get frustrated when things are not how we like them, we don't participate in worshipping God because something may not be how we want it. The ironic thing is that the real battle is elsewhere – in the unseen world; behind the scenes; spirit driven; angels and demons fighting around us, demonic forces that are planting ideas and stirring up bad feelings or memories and even driving wedges of distrust among believers. The battle is not between you and me – it is with the minions of Satan who want to distract and discourage in a way that prevents us from our earthly mission.

Ephesians 6:12

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

So, what is my earthly mission – first and foremost - that I would live a life of love toward God , my Father, each and every day and strive to do His will to honor Him. Second – to spread that love through loving people enough to tell them about my God. He has changed my life. He has given me hope. He has given me a future and a family of believers that love me and support me. This is why we live - to share that with others and help plant the seeds of hope and life in their lives.

Look how Paul challenged those believers in Ephesus….Ephesians 6:18-20

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. {19} Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, {20} for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

Do I pray enough? Do I pray for the right things? Am I boldly and confidently telling others what God has done in my life? Paul asked for some to pray that he would share fearlessly – meaning, he had fear and wanted to overcome it. I never think of Paul experiencing fear – fear is a tool of Satan that causes us to doubt. Paul had it and wanted to overcome it and knew that PRAYER was the solution. Do I pray enough? Do I pray for the right things? Do I pray always and in all ways and for all people and for those that are preaching, teaching and discipling others with the truth of the word of God? Do it – alone or together – just do it.

Every second Saturday of the month there are about 15-20 believers that get together to pray for the ministries of Osceola Grace – real people praying for real needs expecting a real God to give real hope. That is real life – come on out to Osceola Grace this Saturday at 8 AM. Real battle takes place on our knees!

Be a True Fan of Jesus

I have been reading a book by Seth Godin called "Tribes" and have found it to be very insightful about what a church leader should look for. There is one place (p33) where he says,

"Too many organizations care about numbers, not fans. They care about hits or turnstile clicks or media mentions. What they are missing is the depth of commitment and interconnection that true fans deliver. Instead of always being on the hunt for one more set of eyeballs, true leaders have figured out that the real win is in turning a casual fan into a true one.

Fans, true fans, are hard to find and precious. Just a few can change everything."

So if we change the word fan to "committed disciples of Jesus Christ" then suddenly it gives you a real vision for true church growth and impact. My focus, my passion, my drive in the last five years has been developing around this very idea and yet Mr Godin (not even follower of Christ as far as I know) has nailed it in just two paragraphs.

Oh what kind of "tribe" we could have if there we had 300 people that were so sold out to God that their passion was to do exactly what Jesus said, "Love God with all your heart soul and mind and then love people." If we truly love God we will truly love people and if 300 of us were wholeheartedly committed to it then 300 of us would share it and 300 of us we disciple 300 others and we would soon have 600 true fans of Jesus. And so on, and so on, and so on.

But we are not there yet. So how many true fans of Jesus do we have at Osceola Grace? How many are commending to others what they cherish most in God? Do you believe in the "product" you are pushing? Do you believe it enough to live it out boldly?

The Fear Factor

I read this today and was awakened to a truth in my life.

I have fear. Fear of what people think of me. Fear of not having friends. Fear of bad things happening. Fear of people not approving of my decisions. Fear of people that do not believe like I believe. Fear of making people mad. Fear of not having enough money to pay the bills. Fear of doing this leadership thing wrong. Fear of teaching something wrong to 275 people. Fear of not accomplishing the purpose for which I am here.

Yet, I do not seem to grasp in my heart of hearts that these fears are all trivial. I read this Psalm and begin to see that my greatest fear needs to be a fear of God. When I act out of my fear of a great and fearsome God – all of the other fears seem to pale. What can man do to me that could be worse than what God could bring upon me?

By the way – I love verses 7 and 8. Security – that is the bottom line.

Psalm 112

1 Praise the Lord.

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

who finds great delight in his commands.

2 His children will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,

and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,

who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 Surely he will never be shaken;

a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7 He will have no fear of bad news;

his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;

in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,

his righteousness endures forever;

his horn will be lifted high in honor.

10 The wicked man will see and be vexed,

he will gnash his teeth and waste away;

the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

The Laundry Man

It's Friday and sometimes (only sometimes) I try to do a little laundry on my day off. My wife does it best and I try to help out with out messing it up or ruining some item of clothing. I'll admit - I am not good at it. You would think that it is a simple thing – just time consuming – but nevertheless I seem to mess something up every time I try to help.

    I forget to pre-treat something

    I forget to put the "delicates" in a bag that somehow has super powers to protect them?

    I dry something too long (which may be happening right now as I stubbornly type while knowing I should go check)

    I don't lay out the right things and I mix the wrong items together

    I do it in the wrong order so that the towels are drying forever which holds up the rest of the process with everything else.

Anyway, one thing I notice is that even when things go right – over time – our clothes are not as brilliant or bright. The whites are a little dingier and the colors are a little more faded and my jeans look more and more like I should stop wearing the min public (although, I could make a case for them now being in style based on what I see out there).

Funny, huh? We try and try and try t get things clean and even though we get the dirt out we still have stains or spots. Our precious whites are not so white even though they have the appearance of clean. When laid next to new things, the contrast is obvious.

Sort of like trying to clean up my life – spiritually speaking – on my own. I can make things look good or "better" but never quite right. If I compare myself to other "dirty" things or people – I may look fine – just fine – but when I begin to lay my heart next to the Word of God as my standard… No comparison. The dirt seems to come alive and the cleanliness of the Word makes the contrast outstanding and obvious. So what do I do?

The beautiful solution? The blood of Jesus Christ. He died and shed His blood – red - in order to wash me clean of ALL my sins. Accept it – God's Word says that the blood of Jesus makes me whiter (WHITER) than snow. Wow…forgiveness of sins that cleans my heart as clean as it can ever get and makes it look new again – "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation". All my stains are gone – I don't get dingier and faded as I walk this walk of daily forgiveness. Instead, I can become as pure white through the red blood of Christ can make me. And friends that is getting rid of some dirty laundry.

Ahhh, Consequences

I remember growing up, that I was often called upon to confess my wrong doing. Not in a church setting or in a spiritual setting - just in my "everyday kid life" – I was doing things I should not have done and thought I could get away with it. When I got caught, I was sorry. Well, sorry that I got caught, anyway. So I behaved sorry; I said "I'm sorry"; I even tried to make amends sometimes (when I was made to).

But did I really think about what my disobedience was costing me? Time away from friends – for sure. Missed events – that hurt. Sometimes penalties that cost me money – no fun. But I don't think that I usually allowed the enormity of my behavior to sink in regarding how it affected others.

You see, I thought that if "I" chose to do wrong (to sin) that it was "MY" decision and that IF "I" got caught then it was "ME" that had to pay the consequences. If I was willing to risk that to have a little "fun" then I would go for it. After all, it was only me anyway – not anyone else.

I don't know when I realized how wrong that self-centered concept was. MY sin, MY risks, MY behavior, MY disobedience – all MY choices because I can. But almost all of those choices had an effect on others, too. I broke my mom's heart the day I got caught egging a house and some cars. I hurt my sister when I called her horrible names because I was mad at her. I hurt a girlfriend by saying something about her that was unfair and did not need to be shared. I hurt a friend by spreading something he shared without thinking that he trusted me to keep it quiet. I hurt a teacher by spreading things that were not true about her. All in all, I was a little sneaky and wherever possible I would deny it or at least deny it was intentional. Deep down – I was selfish – I thought that my actions only affected me and I discovered (and cared) way too late in life that the consequences of my sin affected more people than just me. My sin caused deep hurts and when I realized that it made me think a little more before I made those bad choices.

There are other consequences that are far deeper, too. Sometimes we think that we can just walk away if we "confess" and "say we are sorry" without having to pay the price. However, sometimes – even when we are truly sorry and intend to repent and walk away from our sin and stop behaving that way – there are still consequences that cannot be avoided or averted. Things like an unexpected teen pregnancy, an arrest that leads to a permanent record, an injury that changes the course of a life, a death that rocks your world or even a friendship that is destroyed because trust was broken. Sometimes there is no going back.

Two things to remember – most consequences are deeper than you think and EVERY act of disobedience to God has consequences that affect more than JUST YOU. It is not all about you – it IS ALL about God! Sometimes the consequences help bring us back to reality and we are compelled to change our focus off of ourselves.

Worship – Not what it used to be

I have been reading a lot on worship lately. This is not exactly what I was expecting. I seriously have never spent a great deal of time contemplating what true worship is or what true worship entails. But as I have studied some and read some other authors thoughts on the idea of true worship, I have come to question many things about my own spiritual life.
First, look up any references to "worship" or any combination of the word in the New Testament. You see the Magi search for and find the Christ child and immediately fall down and worship. You see Peter and the disciples watching Jesus walking on water and then Peter jumps up to join Him. Whoa! Watch that first step, dude, it is a doozey. They both climb back in the boat and then Jesus turns, addresses the storm and it all instantly stops. The disciples' response? They worshiped him – in fear! How about Mary and the others as they approach the empty tomb of Jesus and then encounter him in the garden? Fall down and worship at His feet. As people encountered Jesus, their response was worship.

I wondered…who brought the piano along or the organ? Where was the guitar? Did someone bring an amp along just in case there would be a chance to "worship"? How about that poor drummer boy carrying his set everywhere just in case?

Why do we call the singing portion of the service on Sunday – "worship" – what are we doing the rest of the time?

A bigger question…why do we call it a "Worship Service"? Is it our one time throughout the week that we have set aside to worship God? Oh, well…harrumph… I do my devotions each day, too, though.

Worship – a commitment in my heart to live and breathe and act every moment in such a way as to let God get glory from something I say, do or think.

60/60/24/7/52/36 – seconds in a minute/minutes in an hour/ hours in a day/ days in a week/weeks in a year/ probable years left in my life (Psalm 90:10)

How will I spend my next 36 years? How will I spend the next week? How will I use the next hour? How will I use the next minute or second?

When I encounter Jesus, God the Father or His Holy Spirit, which is permanently embedded within my being since I have believed on Christ, what response will I have? Worship? Or resistance? Will I bow, obey and glorify or stand tall and proud, disobey and rebel thus dishonoring the very God I pledged to serve.

Oh God…help me to bow my knee to you – even while I yet live.

What am I aiming for…

Excellence

Is the result of caring more than others think is wise

Risking more than others think is safe

Dreaming more than others think is practical

And expecting more than others think is possible

Why…

There are some things that are so hard to figure out. There are those things that are obvious. And then, there are those things that we'll never know until eternity – if we actually get to know then or not – I am not sure. But regardless of the theology behind that statement, some things happen with apparent randomness and they cause major frustration. (possibly the personal response and the handling of those events is the real answer to "why…")

Let's go back a bit.

In June 2008, Tim wanted a car. We found a car – 1990 Toyota Corolla with some hot tires and a cool stereo and a sound engine. Not to pretty but reliable.

Within a month – it had been broken into and the stereo was stolen. Broken dash plates and such with no insurance on this since it was such an old car. We get a window and replace it on our own: $35. Soon, someone traded Tim time and sweat for a stereo. A really nice one.

Then – the exhaust system gets a major hole ($135), the tie rods fall apart ($200) and the rear strut needs replaced ($100) al just to get Tim back to school in Ohio. The car remains parked because there is no gas money to run around now (reference above $$$) and so it is only used on Sunday to go to church and back.

Today – 8:00 AM – Tim calls and says the driver side window is smashed in and the stereo is gone (again). His question – "Why? I have been good. I didn't do anything." My answer… you know – the dad perfect and right answer that covers all the questions your child asks… you know, the "pastoral" answer that suddenly makes the situation perfectly clear in the plan of God…you know, the manly answer that allows the friend to find the resolve to continue since there really is a plan…

My answer… "I don't know, Tim. I just don't know."

I wish I did. I wish I could help. I wish I could fix it. I wish I could protect him from having to experience the lessons of life. I wish I could hug him right now.

He is frustrated, discouraged and five hours away. And he is my son.

Why?

Get Out…

I wish I wasn't so mean.

Several years back, when the kids were little, we were driving along with all four of them in the van and having one of those moments that parents have. One of my sons (age 6 or so) was mad about something and would not listen to reason or advice. As the argument between a 30 year old dad and his 6 year old kid escalated – my son muttered, "I wish I wasn't even part of this family anymore." Well, after a couple more exchanges, he shouted it at me.

Wrong thing to do… I yanked the car over to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes at the same time. As we came to a skidding stop alongside the shoulder of the road, I reached back behind my wife's seat to the sliding door handle, yanked the handle and slammed the door back. There he sat at the open door looking from that to me with a questioning look.

"Fine, if you don't want to be part of this family then you don't have to. Get out. Go ahead. Get out right now! If you don't want to listen to me when I talk then we can end this right here. Get out of MY car and find a family that you DO want to be a part of," says the loving and caring father of a suddenly terrified six year old boy.

His face froze. He looked to the door, looked back at me and then at the door again. When he looked back at me the last time, he broke into tears and begged me not to make him get out.

You would think at that point that a loving father would melt. Oh no. Not me. I just continued to drill him and let him know that as long as he was part of this family (if he chose to stay) that he would listen, honor and obey me. "Do you understand?"

As he cried and nodded, I told him to close the door. So he stayed. I looked over to my wife as we pulled back on the road. She was looking straight ahead. I looked to the other kids in the car. Stone faces. No expressions. Hmmmm.

I wish I wasn't so mean.

To this day, we laugh about that – in fact, every once and a while one of the kids will say in their deepest scariest voice "GET OUT". It provokes outbursts of laughter now – but it wasn't so funny then. Eventually, I felt horrible.

I am so glad that I will never, ever hear the words "GET OUT" from my Father in heaven.

Hebrews 13:5-6 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." {6} So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

I am a pretty bad example of a loving father sometimes but God is the perfect Father that receives us back – even when we are bad – as long as we return to Him.

Return to Him today – He will never reject you. (and never make you get out of the van)