One More Time

Yes, I know I just did a blog about The Shack days ago, but there are still some of you that haven't read it yet. What are you waiting for? You can order it online for about ten dollars! It is a powerful book, a life-changing book, if you're heart is ready for it. I would go so far as to say that, other than the Word, if you only read one book this year, make it The Shack. I got copies for all our shepherds and their wives, for the staff, and I got a case of 30 from CBD (Christian Book Distributors) and had them available for sale last Sunday and everyone was purchased. (Actually, I did give two away.) A sister, whose family experience an incredible tragedy several years ago, told me that of all the books she's read since the tragedy, The Shack helped her more than any.
Let me warn you. It may rattle your notions about God and how he might appear if you got to visit with Him in person. I loved it. It shocked me at first, but then when I reflected on how William Young depicted God, it made total sense. Again, it will give you mental images that will stick in your heart and help you to draw closer to a personal God like nothing you've ever read.
I suspect that those folks who are drawn to law over love will have a difficult time accepting the images and the theology of this work of fiction. For those who are seeking the Spirit, it will touch you with challenges about forgiveness, judging, legalism, organized religion, and understanding how God works - well, like nothing I've ever read.
One more thought. If you haven't experienced serious tragedy in your life, you know you will. It's not whether but when! The Shack is one of the most comforting and encouraging books anyone could read whether it's for healing or for helping you get ready. One of the most powerful and life changing things anyone could do, in my opinion, would be to get a group of seekers together who have read this book, and discuss it chapter by chapter. I think you'll be surprised about how much we all need to adjust our theology.
Thanks Bill, but mostly, thanks Papa.

It's Not My Fault!

This picture (thanks JV) just touched my "Ironic Button" since it reminded me of something I was sharing at Florissant just last night. I am constantly amazed how people don't want to take responsibility for their mistakes and their poor decisions. IT IS easier to blame the gun, the pencil, the car, or the spoon rather than own up to the fact that we not only do wrong things, but we like to rationalize away any guilt or liability.
Last night, at a special Summer class we're having on Sunday evenings, we looked at the subject of abortion. Not exactly one of my favorite subjects to talk about. Still, while I had no trouble jotting down some thoughts to share, I still did some on-line research to just bring myself up to date on the contemporary arguments both pro & con. Why do the Pro-choice people like to call themselves Pro-Choice instead of Pro-Death? Or why not be honest and say they're Pro-Abortion? Why form a nationwide policy based on the less than 1% of women who want/need an abortion based on rape or incest? Or the less than 3% that are based on the health risk of the mother? Even if a person isn't a believer in God, how do you totally disregard love, sacrifice, values, and unselfishness that are innate maternal qualities? The truth is, that most abortions truly are a matter of convenience. It's simply a way to end an unwanted and unplanned pregnancy, so nearly one and a half million lives a year get sacrificed on the altar of selfishness and are dismissed as a side issue to freedom of choice.
The reality is that people want to have irresponsible sex and then not be responsible for the consequences. I don't even want to think about how that might be said on the above T-shirt.

The Magic House

"I've been framed!"
"And that's the way it was."

It's been great having Deborah, Joshua, and Caleb with us this week. It's always good to see family and spend time visiting all the St. Louis sights, and doing what we do best- eating. Yesterday, Nana took them to the Magic House. It's a wonderful hands-on experience that all our grand kids truly enjoy. I've only been there once and I was amazed at all the cool stuff there was to see and to interact with.

I'm glad they got to spend some time with us while Pat was out of the country on a mission effort. We are so proud of the wonderful way Pat and Deborah, and Elizabeth and Chad are raising our grand children. They are really super parents and I especially love the fact that God and Jesus are always part of their family activities. I can tell that my ability to relate to small children has gotten pretty rusty over the years, but you know what? I enjoy just watching them rip and run through the house and having so much energy and so much fun. I get tired just watching them. Today I was the delivery boy and brought MacDonald's to the park where Donna, Deborah and the boys were. We had a picnic and enjoyed lunch under a nice shade tree. I think the amount of time they actually stayed seated could be counted in seconds. The play ground was calling and there were places to run to - so lunch was wolfed down pretty quickly.

Every night when we ask God to take care of our loved ones, we also ask Him to let us be together soon. I suspect we'll be praying that prayer for a long time to come.

The Missing Question

Last Sunday I asked my church family to update their spiritual resume. In fact, I asked them to totally rethink what needs to go on it. I gave a quick sample of mine, with decades of church and full-time ministry, with degrees and books, with baptisms, wedding, and funerals, etc., etc. After each pronouncement, I could hear God ask, "Great Mike, but who do you love and who loves you?"
I scares me that we have so misunderstood "church" for so long. When did it stop being a tool to use and become a goal to achieve? When did we start defining our faith by attendance rather than love? How can it be possible that we find ourselves trying to sell members on the priority of love when it's still the only thing Jesus said that shows the world that we belong to Him?
I heard about a congregation in another state who are trying to hire a church growth minister. Someone who will be able to examine their situation and tell them what they need to do to become a larger church. Which verse in the New Testament would you use to justify that purpose? Oh, don't hit me with that lame "We only care about numbers because it means more souls?" rationale that we've been using for decades. Jesus told us to "Beware of practicing your righteousness to be seen of men." It sure seems to me that our paradigm of church comes from a worldly need to impress others and ourselves, with our success.
When I say that I always hear the screams of those who say, "You mean we don't care about numbers anymore?" To them I say, let's start bringing people into a closer relationship with Jesus and then see what that does to our numbers. As long as our number one goal is having a "dynamic worship that attracts" and an education structure that doesn't build loving relationships, any numerical growth will simply be a temporary fad that makes the church a spiritual nursery school for members who love receiving more than they love one another.
When church leaders stand before God and He asks, "What did you do to help YOUR flock develop a deeper relationship with Jesus," what will they say? What will I say? What good is a church-going, money giving, ministry working body of Christians who aren't growing in love for one another and thus learning to love God and be like Him?
We need to rethink what belongs on our spiritual resumes. See yourself sitting on a beach with Jesus. It's early morning and you're roasting fresh fish over an open fire. You're struggling with doubt, fear, and guilt. You want to know what you can do to get your spiritual life on the right track. Jesus has only one question - even if He asks it several times. "Do you love me more than these?" THAT'S the single most important question every child of God must be asked and must honestly answer. What are we doing to make sure everyone answers it the way God wants it answered? THAT IS WHAT CHURCH IS ALL ABOUT!

The Need to Read!

I have read many books in my life that have inspired me, challenged me, humbled me, and excited me, but it usually wasn't one book that did all of these and it certainly wasn't a work of fiction. I just want to encourage anyone who reads my blog to consider getting a copy of The Shack, by William Young, and reading it. You will want to share it with everyone you love. If I could afford it, I'd buy a copy for all my family and friends and give everyone a copy. I have discovered, however, that giving gifts of books does not guarantee it will be read. I've given away plenty of my books to family and friends who never read them. This is a book that will make you think and it will touch you like no other book. While it's a work of fiction, the insight into God - the Trinity - is incredible. It will bring you closer to God and give you an understanding of how He works, better than anything I've ever read. I really want to give a summery of the story, but I'd rather you be gripped and moved by every turn and surprise that you read in it.
I don't recommend a lot of books, but to all our friends and family, from Arkansas, to Virginia, to Texas, to Tennessee, to Florissant, and anywhere else, get this book and read it. It's in paperback at most Christian book stores. I'm going to see if I can purchase copies at bulk rates for my church family at Florissant. Let me know if you find a really good deal. I suspect I'm going to be thinking about this book for a long time.

Back from Vacation

We got back from our Alaska cruise Tuesday morning at about 7::30. Yes, it was an over night flight from Anchorage, via Detroit, to St. Louis, and yes, we both stayed awake the whole time. I never have been able to sleep on a plane. So between catching up on sleep and work, I haven't been able to do any blogging until this 4th of July morning. So HAPPY 4th!
We got to share part of the trip with Kevin & Kathy (Kathy is Donna's sister, brother-in-law Kevin is my long-time hunting buddy too). They flew to Detroit and then on to Pittsburgh. It was an incredible cruise. Like I've said before, it's the one cruise we chose to repeat because it's so beautiful. Princess is a wonderful cruise line, this was our fourth cruise with them, the food was amazing, and the ship was first class in every way. Still, the best part was the scenery. It's ALWAYS there and always beautiful. I did more glassing with my binoculars on this trip than I do when I hunt in Colorado. It's like traveling in a postcard.

This is three of the glaciers you'll see in College Fjord. The ship just parked in the middle of the bay and turned slow circles showing the glaciers on every side. The sun was shining and the water was smooth as glass. And this was the last evening of the trip which was wonderful every single day.

This picture was actually taken at about 10:00 P.M. I have a picture of my Micky watch at 10:00 as my hand blocked out the sunshine behind it. We introduced Kevin and Kathy to our favorite travel game - Fargle. It's great because all you need is six dice and it doesn't matter how many people are playing. You can also visit and enjoy fellowship while you play. Yes - it's not always about the competition. It was truly a blessing to spend time with Kevin and Kathy, all the crew from Florissant (past and present), and our great friends Bud and Betty from Nashville. We actually had 26 in our group and even had some visitors to our Sunday morning communion service in one of the ship's lounges. After the service, one visitor had a special prayer with Donna and me asking God to heal my voice problem. Never thought that would happen on a vacation cruise.

Just A Thought

It's late Sunday evening and I'm eating apple pie with ice cream before going to bed. We are leaving early in the morning for our vacation and will be away from home, church, and blogville for about eight days. I may try to do a blog from our cruise ship if I can remember my blog password, but don't hold your breath waiting for it. I'm kind of hoping I wont even think about blogs for a few days. I will, however, be doing a lot of thinking, studying, and writing in my journal, so I should have a few things to share when we get back.
I just want to share a thought that I jotted down in my journal yesterday. It's something I thought about while mowing the yard yesterday. Hope it gives you something to chew on for eight days. I feel certain it will show up in a sermon some time soon.
Thought: How ironic is that we begin to understand what life's priorities need to be about the time we are old enough to start having to pay for all the misplaced priorities of our past?

With a Cherry on top?

YOU'VE READ THE BOOK!

YOU'VE SEEN THE MOVIE!

NOW - HERE'S THE STILL SHOT!

LONESOME DOVE!

Just another critter in our back yard. We are covered up with birds who are all waiting for the cherries on our cherry tree to ripen. When they do - they will be eaten up in one or two days.
It's hard to tell from this picture, but the limbs are actually bending over from the weight of the cherries. We have picked some in the past, but because we haven't sprayed them for bugs and worms a lot of them have "indwelling spirits" - if you know what I mean.

Unfortunately, they will turn ripe while we are out of town and unable to pick any even if we wanted to. This morning, after I mowed the yard, I was just amazed at how beautiful the whole tree was with the cherries sparking in the morning sunshine.

Within the next few days, they will turn more purple in color and the birds will descend like a scene from a Hitchcock movie. I love it when the neighborhood kids climb our tree and steal some cherries. They usually pick and eat immediately - kind of hiding the evidence. If they only knew what creatures lurked inside those untreated cherries. (Can I get a spooky laugh from someone?)

To Be or Not To Be...

I could probably count on one hand the number of times my one hand touched a basketball before I went off to Georgia Christian School and started the seventh grade. Basketball was not only the number one sport in south Georgia, but at GCS, it was the number one activity - period! And I so wanted to be a player. That first year of playing JH basketball was truly a learning experience. In reality, I felt out of place and inadequate the whole year. I understood some basics, but I just didn't get it. The next year, we had a volunteer coach who really hammered us with the basics, especially on how to play defense. He was tough and really drove us, but he instilled in us a desire to play and play right. I still remember when it all started coming together and the principles of how to play hard-nosed basketball truly made sense. That's when I really began loving basketball and it was a passion of mine for a lot of years. I miss it, but I like having my own bones in my knees instead of metal replacements.
I've spent the last year seriously praying and studying about Being Real in my spiritual journey. I've tried to verbalize it in 21 sermons, 13 adult class outlines, and numerous articles and blogs. I don't know if I've helped anyone else "get it" but I truly feel that after 43 years of being a Christian - I get it. In fact, I have to change that last sentence, because it hasn't been 43 years of "being" a Christian as much as it's been 43 years of "doing" Christianity. "Being" was there sometimes, but the "doing" was certainly more important, more visible, more affirmable, and more self-serving. I'm not trying to be hyper-critical of myself as much as I'm realizing how essential to our spiritual journey our desire to truly "BE" like Jesus really is. We've got the "doing" part down. We know what we're supposed to "do" and how the "doing" declares us faithful to others. And we judge our church families by what they are "doing" and how we can get them to "do" more, and then we feel like failures because we have to keep "doing" more to get everyone else to "do" more. And we have to repeat it year after year!
Maybe it's time to start "Being". What would happen if every member would commit to honestly "being" like Jesus? Would the "doing" stop or would it increase, and maybe have more passion? Would that force us to redefine what constitutes a "successful church"? After all, what is a successful church to God? Does He even care about the "doing" if there is no "being"? At some point we are going to have to own up to our failures and the biggest failure is our insistence on "doing" without caring whether our church family is "being" like Jesus.
Like learning the principles of playing basketball, what good is practice if it doesn't help us "get it"?

Chaplain 8

Isn't it amazing how much emailing has become a part of everyday life? One of the wonderful blessings of email is hearing from people you might never hear from if it weren't for the ease of online communication. Every now and then I get an email from out of the blue, from someone I hadn't thought about in years, and it opens a floodgate of memories that take me back to a time I haven't reflected on in ages.
The other day I received an email from one of the first policemen I met the very first day that I began as a Police Chaplain for the Fairfax County Police Department. Sergeant Jay was probably the most excited cop at the station to find out they had a Chaplain. They weren't all that excited to have a chaplain at first. I still remember walking down the stairs with the Captain of the station as he took me to meet the guys at my first roll call meeting. Coming down the stairs I remember hearing one of them say, "Who the ________ needs a chaplain?" Jay was (and is) a devout Christian, and he was thrilled to get any spiritual emphasis at the Chantilly station that he could. I remember riding with him on many occasions and being impressed with how much he cared about God and the men in his squad. He was a good man and a source of a lot of good memories.
The job of being a Police Chaplain was a volunteer position and totally up to me to make it what I wanted it to be. The officers had no obligation to call on me or use me to help with anything. They didn't even have to let me ride with them. So the first order of the day was to prove myself and make myself valuable to them. I rode with everyone I could and made a lot of friends quickly, but it took my first "Chaplain" call over the radio to give me a chance to prove myself. AND, it was Sergeant Jay who called for me. I was riding with Pete, a young go-get-em officer who actually was raised in the church of Christ. We heard the call of a traffic accident w/ possible fatalities. It clearly turned into a madhouse as it was discovered that a sixteen year old boy riding a bike on the side of the highway was struck and killed by a guy who was drag racing his car, left the road, hit the boy, and flew his car off into the trees way off the road. The boy's parents and friends showed up quickly, and the scene was getting very tense as they demanded to see if it was their son who was killed. And then the call came over the police radio, "See if Chaplain 8 can respond to this location." I was scared to death. It's a long story, but the end result was that I truly helped the police and the family and greatly increased the officers' appreciation for Chaplains. I'll always remember one of the gruff old veterans saying, "Well Chaplain, you were worth you're weight in gold tonight."
That was 1980 and I served as a Police Chaplain until the middle of 1988. By then I simply had no time to ride or even be called to help. The church had been growing, we had three services on Sunday morning, our children where getting bigger and I needed all my extra time to be with family. It was a wild ride. Especially those first two years when I did so many death notifications and got to help so many people. The Detective department chaplain, when they finally got one, as well as the homicide detectives themselves, took over almost all the notifications during my second year especially since all traffic fatalities started being under their department too. My first book, Rev, was based on those first two years of being a Chaplain.
I am thankful for the experiences, though sometimes memories pop into my head that I'd like to forget - especially ones involving children. God was preparing me to be a better servant. I learned crisis intervention and I learned how to deal with tragedy. Mostly, I learned that I never want to deal with this life without having a loving heavenly Father to see me through it. And I'm thankful for memories of good people - like Sergeant Jay. He really did see his job as protecting and serving, but his serving also included serving God.

The Mind Is the First...

I've heard for years that when it comes to getting older, the mind is the first thing to go. I never believed that for a minute. I would say the knees, or maybe the hair, or even the eyes before I'd say the brain. That is, until last week. I got my first traffic ticket in thirty years last week. When the officer pulled me over, I literally had no idea why. He said I ran a stop sign. Frankly, I can't image that I did. It was an intersection that I regularly travel through and I am very - did I say very loud enough? - scrupulous about obeying traffic laws. Yes, I accept a little grace by going a couple miles over the speed limit sometimes, but I'm fanatic about turn signals, stop signs, and any other legal requirement. However, I truly had no recollection of whether I had stopped or was guilty. I resisted the urge to argue - knowing that never works anyway, but it was very disturbing to me to think I might have done it or even worse, that I was falsely accused. Oh well, I'm sure I deserve it for something sometime that I got away with.

And then there was the two times last week that I saw someone in the foyer of the church building, after the performance, and couldn't for the life of me remember who they were. I knew their face and I knew I knew them, but I couldn't remember where I knew them from. It was one of those "out of place" sightings where you know someone but you're seeing them at a different place. Wow! Does that ever make you feel dumb. Sorry folks. I don't know if the memory is going or if I'm in a rut when it comes to where and when I see people.

And then there's the picture above. Our old small group from TN surprised us by showing up Saturday evening for the play. Someone told me there was a bus from Antioch out front and I literally thought, Antioch Baptist? It was all our good friends! What a wonderful surprise! They are so special to us and we love them all dearly. What a sweet surprise. I think we have a bond that truly will transcend years and miles. So - one thing I haven't forgotten, and never will, is the love of good friends. It's okay to get older - especially when you do it with lots of loved ones.

God Truly Blessed Our Show

"The Whale Motel" being sung by our Jamaican quartet. This song started the show each night. It was another wonderful experience to be with such a great group of dedicated brethren and put together such an amazing show. We had excellent crowds each night - about two thousand in total, and the cast and crew just got better and better each night. It was an honor to work with everyone who helped it be such a success. Of course, we started asking God to bless it half a year ago and He certainly did. Why should I be surprised. It was four days of incredible sharing with guests, church family, and our own family. And to top it off, our old friends from our small group in Nashville showed up Saturday night and surprised me in a wonderful way. Love you guys. Here are some pictures from one of the shows. Most are from Sunday evening's final show. They were awesome and I love each one of them.

Jonah is trying to decide which boat to run away from God on.

This is the Queen of Nineveh singing to Jonah that he needed to "Walk Like a Man."

Here are all the creatures in the belly of the Big Fish. Lot's of color and lots of fun. And even a powerful lesson about ignoring God.

Jonah is greeted by the court of Nineveh with a huge Broadway version of "Hello Jonah".

The infamous Pirates of the Mediterranean singing A Pirates Life.

The quartet of crabs who welcomed Jonah to the belly of the whale. I wonder how many folks notice the reprise of the four pigs from The Prodigal Son in The Lord of the Parables.

Carpet Makes A Difference

We had our dress rehearsal last night, for our play, and it was incredible. Needless to say, we are very busy. Between the play, normal work demands, and most of our family coming in for the play, I won't have much time to blog over the next few day. I did want to show off our carpeted basement. It came out really nice. It is essentially finished except for putting on the floor molding and the ceiling in the "way back" part of the basement - just around the corner in the above picture - we need to put in a suspended tile ceiling. Probably won't get to either one for a couple weeks. It's amazing how putting the carpet in truly makes it look like a real room and not a cave under the house.

Hopefully, it will feel comfortable enough for some of our visiting family to sleep in this week - since all the bedrooms will be full. We are really thankful to have this extra space. I'm just glad you can't see what that storeroom looks like just behind that wall to the left.

Maybe I can get a picture or two of the play posted sometime over the next four days of performances.

It's A Wrap - Almost!

I find myself thinking about the words "Wrap up" this Monday morning. I hear the hammering of the carpet installer in the now almost finished basement as he puts the tack strips down. Our basement is nearly wrapped up now. We are in the final week of Jonah and the Pirates of the Mediterranean. We had a great rehearsal last night and the next one is Tuesday night, and then it's Wednesday dress rehearsal and four nights of performances. Our play, that started with me outlining it back in July of '07 and had our first read through in February, is now about to wrap up. And yesterday I wrapped up our Sunday morning lesson series on Be Real. It was the last of twenty-one lessons on Being Real about wanting to be like Jesus, and in may ways, it was the hardest lesson. The challenge question was, Do I Have the Mind of Christ. That was essentially what the other twenty lesson were all about, so how do you answer that without just repeating yourself?
I tried to focus on the bigger issues of our journey. The issues that determine how we look at life, deal with our problems, and face its conclusion. I decided that the mind of Jesus was guided by essentially three factors (and no, I didn't have to have a three point sermon). The mind of Jesus was spiritual; the mind of Jesus was selfless; and (this may sound strange) the mind of Jesus was homesick.
By homesick I mean that he was longing to return to his Father - to be back in heaven. I closed the lesson with a look at Acts 1 where Jesus is taken up to heaven in a cloud and the apostles where just frozen in place watching him disappear into the atmosphere. The angel asked them, "Why are you standing there staring into the sky?" He told them to get on with it! I noticed something very profound about this event. Jesus never said "Good-bye". He didn't need to because he KNEW it was not a good-bye moment, but a see ya later moment. I was surprised by the people who commented to me after the lesson about how they've struggled with guilt and pain because they didn't get to say "Good-bye" to someone they loved who died. Isn't that simply an indication of how much we are focused on the world rather than eternity? He was ready to be home! He "loved his own" on earth, but the separation was short - was nothing compared to being together for eternity! Maybe the true test of having the mind of Jesus is seen in our ability to "let go" of this world - whether it's accepting our own temporary nature, or accepting the inevitability of having loved ones go before us. Forget the "good byes"! Let go of this world and get excited about the better one our Father has for us. Just as we can and should be thankful for every moment of every day of life He gives us, we must be thankful that to really be with Jesus, we have to let go of it - and we can.

One Week To Go!

One week away from our first official performance of Jonah and the Pirates of the Mediterranean! It's really looking great. We have less a sense of panic this year than ever before and I think it's because of the experience we have now and because it's a little easier play than last years. The songs are some of the best and most fun songs we've ever had too. The above picture is the pirates singing their opening song A Pirates Life from Peter Pan. We were missing a few folks who had to be at a Christian Academy dinner and some to a Harding Night at the Cards game. Still, it was an excellent rehearsal and I'm excited about seeing it presented next week. We even did a full run of the whale last night so it's ready to go.

We've started a partial dress rehearsal because of the need to get use to the short change time between scenes. Thus the above picture shows some of the costumes with a mixture of street clothes and shoes. This doesn't do justice to how neat the court of the King and Queen of Nineveh really looks. The next pictures I show should be of the real performance. Hope you can come and see it!

Almost Finished!

Since I have been sharing the ongoing condition of our basement project, I thought it was a good time to share another picture of where we are in the process. This is actually a nearly finished basement refinishing job. We have ordered carpet and it should be put in this week or early next. I painted the new stairs Monday and the only things left to be done are putting one inch corner molding under the stairs (See the white line of the dry wall? It's to cover that.), put the hand rail on, and we still have a small area in the back part that has to have a drop ceiling put in. Of course, I have to clean up some more before the carpet is put in and we won't put the floor molding in until the carpet is down too. So, we should still be on target to have it all finished within a week or so. Of course, both of the storerooms in the basement have everything in them covered in a white dry wall dust. Who knows how long it will be before we get that all cleaned up. But at least the rec-area will be usable when everyone is here for the play next week, and that's the reason we wanted to have it in the first place. More room for family and friends!

The next pictures should be of the totally finished basement. The carpet is a lighter brown than the stairs. Darker than tan but not like too dark. I think it's call toffee.

Peace, OCD, and Monday

It's Monday morning and I'm still thinking about peace. Yesterday's lesson on The Peace of Jesus seemed to touch a chord in a lot of folks - at least their comments afterwards would indicate that. And I still find myself thinking about how hard it is to truly have peace, primarily because we are so controlled by our fears. Did you realize that nearly all fears are learned? Parents pass on their fears to their children, friends pass on their fears to friends, and the TV News give us several new fears to have every day. I watched part of a recorded Oprah show last week that was about some folks with OCD being forced to confront their fears at an OCD camp. Most of them had a severe and debilitating fear of germs. Germs? Dr. Oz pointed out that we have zillions of bacteria in our stomach all the time. The body needs it, and we ALL are terribly inconsistent in our fight to avoid, kill, and remove any germs in our life. Everything we touch has germs on it! And what about the fact that we've only known about germs for a tiny part of history. It wasn't many decades ago that no one knew what a germ was. I wonder what OCD people did before they were told about germs? The thing that was so obvious - and painful to see - was how their happiness, their chance at peace, was completely robbed by fear.
Here's what I think. Our fears are only the obvious sign of our lack of thankfulness. When we focus on what we have to be thankful about, we haven't got time to be obsessed with what might go wrong. When we are thankful for what we have, we won't be so fearful of what we might lose. Every fear we have deflates the quality of our life. Trust God - He tells us to be thankful in all things. Discover the peace that comes from seeing everything as a gift to enjoy - a gift that can't last forever, and a gift that must be given away.
Donna and I watched Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium Saturday evening. Cute, fun, and a different kind of movie, but worth seeing because of its message about life. I totally loved the comment made by Mr. Magorium, played by Dustin Hoffman, when he said, "Life is an occasion, rise to it." Peace elevates life, while fear lowers it.

I've Got Peace Like a River

This Sunday I will be presenting my twentieth lesson on Being Real About Being Like Jesus. They have all been wonderful parts of my own spiritual journey to draw closer to Him and I dearly hope they have helped many others the same way. As challenging as each one has been, some clearly hit the heart with a greater force than others. Humility and compassion are always things that we/I struggle with because it's so hard to step out of yourself and think of others and to remember how powerful and wonderful grace truly is. A lot of things can be said about the strength of Jesus, but one of the most convicting things - especially for those of us who are honest about wanting to really be like Him - is that he seems to be free from ego, that part of self that seeks to be approved, applauded, appreciated, and appealing. What power that would give to a person to be truly free from pleasing anyone except God! To love without payback! To serve because it's natural! To sacrifice because there is no alternative! To be free from all fears!
Ouch! You see I just prepared a lesson for Sunday that asks "Do I Have the Peace of Jesus?" Maybe the tougher way to ask it is "Why don't I have the peace of Jesus?"
There is no peace when there are fears! If love casts out fear, what does that say about our understanding of love? Did you ever stop to consider how much or many of our fears come from our ego? The need to be accepted drives the fear of rejection. The need to succeed drives the fear of failure. The fear of living drives our fear of dying. The need to please others drives our fear of disappointing them. The need to feel superior drives our fear of finding out we're not.
When I can get to the point that my love for God and my desire to please only Him so permeates my heart that nothing else matters - what's left to fear? Others who may not like me or look up to me? Sad, but nothing to worry about. Cancer, heart failure, or bodily harm inflicted on me by others, or some freak accident? I was never meant to live forever. Or what if someone I dearly love is taken away from me? It's not whether, but when and I'll just be that much more anxious to see them in heaven.
I don't want to fear any of those things! I'm almost there - not totally, but almost. They don't keep me up at night, and I don't waste time thinking about them. Maybe that's how we were meant to grow in the peace of Jesus. I think that'll preach.

Good Friends

Anyone who has been around me very much has heard me say on multiply occasions, "Life is all about who you love and who loves you back." When you understand that this must include God, you soon realize that all the rest is "filler" - stuff you do to support, built, and cherish those relationships. We where blessed this past weekend to have some good friends visit with us. Johnnie and Jan Vaught go back to our early days in Fairfax, VA when our kids where little and their kids were some of our baby sitters. We have some wonderful memories of church work, family fellowships, Neil Diamond concerts, political discussions, and some great Thanksgiving holidays spent together. We even chased after them and spent a couple Thanksgivings with them when Johnnie got transferred by the Air Force to Providence, Rhode Island, and then to Loring Air Force Base in Northern Maine. Great family memories. It was great to spent several hours just visiting, getting up dates on family members, and taking that trip down Memory Lane (not to mention enjoying an incredible Chocolate Candy Cake Donna made). We are thankful for their friendship through the years and very thankful to see them enjoying a health and active retirement. We were one of many stops they were making on their way to see family in Texas and I think we got them to add St. Louis attractions to their "Bucket List". Good friends are just another blessing from a good God.

Stream of Thought

I was deep in thought yesterday while mowing the yard. There's something about mowing or taking a shower that causes my creative juices to start flowing like no other place. I wish I had all the great thoughts that have come to me while washing and mowing. I have been known to stop either one and write down an insight that I just couldn't take a chance on forgetting, but the true is, volumes could be written from the ideas that I forgot. But I digress. I was thinking about grace yesterday. I started out thinking about how incredible it is and then I started reflecting on why it took so many years before I "got it"? How could I attend Christian schools for ten years and hardly ever hear it taught? (7th grade - college; '64 - '74) Why did it take so long for me to understand that grace wasn't some grading curve that God uses, but the 4.0 He gives me because He loves me and in spite of the fact that I'm the class clown, class trouble-maker, smart-alack, etc, etc?

I put my anthropology/sociology hat on, and some of it starts to make sense. The '50's and '60's are thought of by many as the "hay day of the church" nearing Pentecost proportions, but mostly revealing delusions of grandeur. It was the period right after WW2 when everyone desired and thought of things as completely right or wrong, black or white, and evil vs. good. A belief system that viewed the Word of God in those terms, driven by looking for God-given patterns in Scripture, and needing to feel "right" and maybe even superior - had great appeal during those decades. When you're right - that is, you've discovered all the patterns/truth, there is no need for grace. Grace is license! Grace is liberty! Grace is scary, because the goal is no longer perfection but staying in the right direction (i.e. light). That was certainly not a new fear. In Romans, some Christians thought that grace meant they could sin even more. It would mean, they thought, the opportunity to get more grace. How could that be bad? Of course Paul pointed out that it's because of grace - it's power, love, and it's cost - that we don't want to sin. Yes it's a gift, but it's also the motivation!

It only took several decades of study, preaching, and asking tough questions of God and His Word before I saw that. I'm sad that it took so long, but I'm so glad that I didn't miss it completely. It's also sad that we (yes me too) so often forget it today. Even many of us "liberated" souls, who think we've finally "got it," forget how amazing grace really is. Did you know it's for ultra-conservatives too - even if they don't "get it"? Did you realize that it covers "BIG SINS" as well as the socially acceptable sins? Did you realize that it's most powerful elements are only truly released in our life when we give it away? Could it be that grace is greater that well meaning "creed books"? Could it be that grace is greater than baptism? Could it be that anything and everything that God commands is "essential" at the same level and all applicable to grace? Do we really know what God did? What He does? We all laugh and wink when we say we'll be surprised about who we will see in heaven. My only question is, what have we missed that will make us be surprised?

I guess I still don't have all the answers, but one thing has become very clear to me over that last six months. The only way anyone can truly begin to understand grace is to seek to know the giver of grace as much as you possibly can. If your theology of grace doesn't match the life and spirit of Jesus then you really don't know grace.

A Movie and A Play

This has been a week for entertainment. On Monday, due to my son's high recommendation on his blog, we went to see Iron Man. It's the first time we've been to a movie in a long time and, it was worth seeing. It's a real visual treat with lots of action and lots of explanation as to how he became Iron Man. It definitely keeps your attention. It's not for young ones, of course, too much violence and action, but one that I will be adding to my DVD collection to watch on a slow Friday night when I'm home alone - and wishing I had one of those suits.

Then Tuesday night we went to see Jersey Boys. Wow - what awesome music. It was like going to Mama Mia and hearing the music and saying, "I didn't know they did that song!" Great trip down memory lane and the much older audience reinforced that idea. The language is truly crude - Jersey, I guess, but personally it would have been more enjoyable for me if they had left it out. Still, it's a very entertaining look at the life of the group leader, Frankie Valli (I think that's how it's spelled - there's a line in the play about not having a "Y" at the end of a name if you're Italian). All I could think of all through the show about his life was how sad it is that so many successful celebrities know so little about how to build successful relationships - especially with their own families. I suspect there's an ego problem behind most of the failures. Anyway, it's worth seeing if you can put up with the language that everyone else seems to laugh at. You don't have to be a prude to not enjoy crude. I do love a good musical and this is one.

What's On Your Platter?

When the daughter of Herodias danced for the drunken Herod and he was so taken with her performance that he promised "to give her whatever she asked," with one writer adding up to half his kingdom, she ran to her mother for advice. Talk about the potential for a beautiful story? Wow! Just think of what she could have asked for and received! Just think of the riches, the land, the power, the notoriety, or even all the good she could have done. But because of Herodias's hatred for John the Baptist and the bitterness her guilt generated in her heart, she "prompted" her daughter to ask for the head of John on a platter. Because of a serious lack of backbone and an inability to withstand peer pressure, Herod gave her what she asked for.
Yes, this is a terrible story about how ungodly Herod's family was, but it's also a very convicting story about poor choices, misplaced priorities, wasted opportunities, and how Satan gains control of our hearts. I can't help but wonder how many wrong choices I've made through the years and how many opportunities I've blown? I don't think I've cause anyone to lose their head, or even worse, their faith, but I have caused a few to lose their tempers or their high opinion of me - just to name a few. We all make bad choices at times, but hopefully we learn and grow and praise God for His forgiving grace.
I guess I just can't help but think about how often "half a kingdom" has been lost or traded for cheap revenge or immediate satisfaction or instant greed or elevated ego. Some times the dance of anger and bitterness causes people to lose their own head and makes them trade the riches of a loving Father for the one evening of silver platter satisfaction.
Father, give us the strength we need to trust in you and follow your guidance. Thank you for forgiving our sins and giving us a whole kingdom.

It's Almost a Show!

We are getting down to the last three weeks of rehearsals for our play. As you can see, the set is under construction - actually it just needs painting and curtains. This is the court of the King and Queen of Nineveh when Jonah returns from being in the belly of the big fish. They are singing "Hello Jonah", which is my version of "Hello Dolly" and is really going to be cute. All the songs are really sounding great. I believe this is the best collection of songs I've ever put together in a musical.

This is a rehearsal after the rehearsal with the ladies who are doing most of the choreography for "Hello Jonah". Donna is the Queen and the others are attendants. The guys can't handle the movements, so I've called on our "real" dancers - I mean choreographers - oops.

This is grandpa and his granddaughter, Mary, fishing on our dock. They are the narrators of the story and allow us to skip things, as they fill in the blanks for the story. Our master builders, Ken Fester and Ron Ebker built the dock and it's really awesome. I'm not sure if the string lights will stay or not. I like the rustic look of the dock w/o it looking like a Vegas show. So, anyway, it's coming along wonderfully. I can't wait to see our audiences enjoy it - and they will. Everyone is doing a beautiful job. The best part is that we are staying true to our purpose: have fun, do our best, and glorify God. That'll preach!

The Inclusion Rule

I had occasion to be reminded of one of my favorite Rootisms this week. It involves what I believe to be the most violated principle in church work and group dynamic there is. It has been one of the most frustrating elements of poor leadership that I have seen in my whole career as a preacher. I call it "The Inclusion Rule" and I quote it often in meetings with leaders and workers. It states "Before you do anything, ask yourself who does this involve and how will they feel about it." Seems simple enough, but because it's ignored, it's a source of much hurt and discouragement amount good workers in the church. Unfortunately, I have been guilty of violating it myself. You see, in servant oriented, go-getter, self-starter, "If you want the job done right, do it yourself" dedicated church worker organizations - many of us just want to press on and "git'er done"! And while we have no business being territorial or egotistical about our work of service, we don't like it when someone oversteps their responsibilities and steps into ours. Not long ago I was directing and scheduling a major church function. I purposely planned things for specific reasons and intentionally left something out to make it easier on certain folks. (Is that diplomatic enough?) Anyway, some wonderful folks - hard conscientious workers - decided something needed to be added to the plan so they just did it - without asking me or even sharing their plans with me. I wish I could say it didn't bother me, but it did - for just a short while - until I realized that my ego wasn't as important as God being glorified by their good work. So, while it took a little bit of time for me to come around (hours only), I was able to choose to praise God for good workers doing good work.
Some times it's just poor communication and misunderstandings, but in a few occasions it may truly be thoughtlessness and ego. I've been on both sides and it's something Satan can really use to drive wedges between folks simply trying to do the Lord's work. I like to think of Jesus being asked by His apostles to straighten out some folks who where doing great works, but they were not part of their group. They thought someone was clearly overstepping. Jesus told them to rejoice in something good being done and stop being so self-centered about doing good works.
As long as church folks are actively serving others and glorifying God they will occasionally infringe on one anothers "areas" and give Satan an opportunity to create a conflict. That won't happen if we decide to simply be happy that good things are getting done and be thankful that God is glorified.
That having been said, The Inclusion Rule is still appropriate, reasonable, and thoughtful for all of us. Now - if I could just remember my own Rootisms when I need them.....

Movie Magic

In the midst of all our usual church family activities, and with only four weeks of play rehearsals, set construction, costume making, play advertising, etc, etc, left - and with me frantically trying to get our basement construction all finished - somehow (over that last couple of weeks) we managed to watch all five past Harry Potter movies. Getting to see them all so close together really helped me understand things much better and really helped me remember names - which is a constant problem for me when watching long movies (with a short memory). I really enjoyed each of them and I'm glad we own them. I was reminded how important and central the whole "right vs. wrong" thing or "good vs. evil" thing is in every huge movie. Isn't it interesting that in everything from Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, just to name a few obvious ones, the them is "good will triumph over evil" every time. We cheer for the "good guys" and we "boo" the "evil guys" or the "force of darkness".
Everyone wants to believe in values, but for some reason, they don't want to believe they come from God. It's easier and maybe more entertaining (and unbelievable) to have "the Force" or the "good wizards" or the "Brotherhood of the Ring". It seems to me that these movies are all showing us how the seed of goodness, service, sacrifice, and - dare I say it - God, are innately part of our DNA. That may help us understand why Paul said that those without the Law, the Gentiles, in Romans 1, had no excuse for not seeing Him.

Petal Power

Within days of taking this picture of our only azalea bush, they were gone. Their beauty blessed us, and anyone who walked by, for just a few days. I actually found it sad when I first saw all the petals on the ground, but then I decided to give thanks for how much I enjoyed them regardless of the short period of blooming. Boy, talk about a load of life lessons? Everything in God's creation is temporary, but just think about how hard it is to focus on the now? Enjoy the now - the blooming time - and not lessen it or cheapen it by thinking about dead petals on the ground! The value of our life is not found in the number of days we get but in the number of days we truly live. The only way we can enjoy the moment we have is to be thankful for the moment we have. Feel blessed! Feel fortunate! Feel loved - by people God put in our life and by Him - even if those people have to leave us - or disappoint us - or forget us. He doesn't. He made that azalea bush and He made you. Bloom - give - dazzle - enjoy! Yes - you could always have had more time, but then - you could have had less. Thank God for every moment you get to bloom for Him. You can't possibly feel cheated if you believe you'll get to bloom for Him for eternity. Wow! What a garden that will be!

Check Lists or Opportunities?

One of my favorite Rootisms is "Everyone believes it's more blessed to give than it is to receive until they walk into the assembly." What a sad indictment of Satan's power it is that we define ourselves by our style of worship rather than our love for one another! Our unity isn't based on relationships but on agreed preferences! So many congregations are full of miserable people who grudgingly stay together, but feel cheated because they're not getting the "Old Time Religion" they prefer or the new "happy - clappy rhythm driven praise songs" everyone else gets to have. Talk about missing REAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY! The assembly is no longer an opportunity to give encouragement, to edify others, and to help equip others, but a passive spectator sport that pushes the "feel good buttons" and allows us to get our "Do Church" item checked off the list. Do I sound negative? No doubt, but it's really more about being sad and disappointed. I really hate for Satan to continue winning and for Jesus to continue being ignored as the reason for the meeting. Congregations will continue to fight the worship wars as long as they continue to "Do Church" rather than elevate Jesus, and He is elevated through love and giving. Like I tell my folks regularly, if what you're doing this morning isn't giving, then what you're doing isn't worship. Let me add to that for any leaders who may read this: If what you're doing isn't helping people develop a deeper relationship with Jesus then you're playing church and not using it for the tool God intended it to be used for.

Why this blog? In our staff meeting yesterday we read 1 Corinthians 10 and I was touched (again) by what Paul said about our freedom in Christ. "Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." (vs.23-24) Wow - talk about a perfect purpose statement for the assembly... Yes, this is talking about restricting what we do for the sake of brethren who don't understand their freedom, but even more important, it's about staying focused on being like Jesus. That's why he warned about mixing Christ and paganism. Keep your focus! Keep consistent! Fall in love with Jesus and "be Him" to others who are trying to do the same or maybe don't even know Him yet. Paul wrapped it all up with the call to glorify God in everything and follow his example as he followed the example of Christ. Ouch? Did you realize that Christians get together to help each other seek Jesus - and see Jesus?

This is a picture someone sent to me a while back that was titles "McDonald's Hits Africa". For some reason, after my visit to my doctor last Thursday, this picture spoke to me. Maybe it was the extra five pounds I've gained or the doubling of my PB medicine, but needless to say, we start on Phase One of The South Beach Diet again today. In truth, I sort of feel like that giraffe looks.

I tried to do a blog on Friday, before I left to go to Dallas to be with the leader of the Saturn Road church and speak for their retreat. I couldn't get the blog to post a picture, so I had to postpone it until today. I had a wonderful time visiting with the elders and staff of this wonderful church family. I was so impressed with their passion to grow, learn, and just do whatever God wants them to do. I dumped a lot of my Be Real material on them, with an emphasis on being real about being Jesus to those we are shepherding, and I think they truly enjoyed and appreciated the challenges I shared. Good men. I was blessed with be with these godly men again - for the third time - and I thanked them again for loving Pat and Deborah so much while they were working with them back a few years ago. The ones who were there with Pat and Deborah, clear still love and miss them very much. So what can I say, they must be really wise leaders!

One last random thought, I've determined that too many people live in fear. I have been shocked for some time now over the number of emails, forwards, comments, and media reports that everyone seems to thrive on having something to fear. I don't even want to give an example because someone will "fear" that I don't appreciate "a danger" or a "potential doom" or such. Read Matthew 6 again. Jesus didn't call us to paranoia but to peace. Peace that our Father is in charge and He STILL is the ONLY ONE we need to fear. Fear robs us of peace, fills us with negativity, and feeds our selfishness. Love God, love today, and live for now. I am committed to being thankful for the only day I still have a choice and can truly make a difference in - today. There's too much to do in glorifying God today to allow an ounce of fear about tomorrow creep in today.

Church Thoughts

I experienced my first earthquake last week. How cool is that? As long as no one was hurt, I'm glad I can claim it as another life experience that, up until then, I had missed. I've been in everything from tornadoes to typhoons, but never an earthquake. It was a weird feeling to be fully asleep in bed and wake up to the bed shaking for several seconds. At 4:30 in the morning, I knew it wasn't just a nervous leg twitching. When it ended, there were several loud pops from all over the house that sounded like some huge hail had suddenly hit. Neat, but I don't think I'd like to be around a bigger one.
Speaking of earth-shaking, here are some random thoughts about the purpose of the church. I've been jotting down some thoughts in my journal for quite a while and finally decided I had enough to call it a TOP TEN. How would you finish the statement "The church is..."? Here are some of mine.
* Church is a support system, not a system to support.
* Church doesn't define our faith as much as it defines our family.
* Church is not the object of our devotion, but points us to the object of our devotion.
* Church is meeting God through godly people, learning to love Him by loving others, and becoming aware of His presence rather than going to a special location to worship Him.
* Church supports living sacrifies to God, it doesn't define "giving".
* Church is a witness protection program that doesn't hide the witness.
* Since the proof of discipleship is loving one another, the church exists to make that happen.
* Church doesn't exist for outreach, but to build a passion for Jesus in the family members who then can't stop talking about Him.
* As the Body of Christ, the church's only ministry is to imitate the life of Christ.
* A church family should be known by what it does out on the playing field not in its Pep Rally.

A New Fear?

I've been receiving a lot of emails, mostly forwarded articles, about Oprah's "New Religion" or her "New Cult". All I can think of is that it's terribly hard to throw off the old mantel of paranoia that so many of us lived in with our legalistic, exclusive, and smug church thinking for so many years. The article from Fox News sounded amazingly like something from the old Contending For the Faith - which was always more about being contentious about faith than seeking it - then an objective look at a philosophical writers ideas. Remember when the mere suggestion that we could do something different in our assemblies got us labelled "New Change Agents"? Remember when even hinting that we might consider interpreting the New Testament from Jesus' perspective rather than a jigsaw puzzle perspective suddenly became "A New Hermeneutic"? Now a little paper back book that is challenging people to honestly look into their hearts and see the real person they need to be is "New Age," Scientology, and a "New Religion" headed by Oprah. It all sounds a little bit like jealousy, bitterness, and revenge towards a powerful celebrity who happens to support a democrat. I am not a democrat, but then, I'm not sure right now if I'm a republican either. It also disturbs me that people can be so hateful and mean about a writer who is different and was not a celebrity until Oprah read his book. What I really am is a seeker of anything that will help me draw closer to God. From what I've read in Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth, I've seen only things that will help and inspire anyone who is seeking God.
I'm not finished with the book, but I've read enough to encourage you to read it for yourself. Don't let the fear mongers do your thinking for you. If I were to sum up his book, which is a little different and not always easy to follow, I think two things jump to the surface. One, he helps the reader live in the now. Jesus said, "Don't be anxious about tomorrow" and Tolle echoes His teaching by simply pointing out that we lose too much because we live in the past or anticipate the future. His words are a little different, but the point is so true. Learn to appreciate - be thankful for today - this moment, and don't waste it.
The second thing I've been impressed with is his guiding the reader into seeing how we are controlled by the roles, the influences, the pressures, or the perceptions of what we think others, or our circumstances, require us to be. We are out of touch with the real, authentic person in our hearts. I would call it selfishness and he helps us see where it comes from, but he calls it ego. Six to one.... I would say that it's a call to Be Real or honest with ourselves. He calls it "awareness". ...half dozen the other.
It's silly paranoia to call it a "New Religion" or "Oprah's Cult". I like the open discussion of "What Jesus was really saying" and I like the challenge to discover what life is really all about. Like Oprah said, it will make you a better follower of Jesus and it should make every minute you spend in worship more meaningful. The only thing new about that is maybe a new honesty about what we are doing.
So before you panic and start fearing the "Church of Oprah", read it for yourself. And, as when you read your Bible, read it with the eyes of Jesus. What can it teach you about developing a deeper relationship with Him. Now there's a new idea. And sure, there are a few things that you will have to ignore or reject, but because you're a seeker not a robot you don't have to eat everything on the plate.

Quick Trip Report

Since we were with family in Nashville from Sunday evening until early Wednesday morning, I obviously didn't have time to blog much. We had a wonderful, if short, visit with the Bills & Miloms and got to hold those sweet grand kids a little bit. We haven't seen Chad, Elizabeth, and there three since Christmas and at that time, little Curtis was only a month old. Wow - they change a lot in three and a half months. Pat, Deborah, and their two were here last month for a short visit, but that's still not enough for grandparents who miss their kids and grand kids a lot.

All five grand kids have grown so much. This was Tuesday night after a wild game of "Go Fish" with Nana.

This is the youngest one - little Curtis, and it's so neat to see him become so expressive and responsive. Isn't it amazing what you will do to just make a baby smile? That's when you start realizing that the best things in life come from friends, family, and loving relationships. We can't wait to have everyone here for the play in early June.

Deeper Roots

Okay, there are clearly more important things going on in our life than the construction of our basement. Still, as I put our next vacation on a credit card and then looked at what the basement has done to our Lowe's card, which is paid off each month, I found myself thinking, "Maybe this basement thing could wait a while longer." Na! It kills me to have a partially finished basement and I'm so thankful for the help I've been getting from Ken Teson, Bill Lee, Ron Ebker, Paul Parrett, and Cary Paul that I don't dare slack off now. Besides, as you can see in these pics, we will be painting the walls next week. The two iron pillars will be boxed, dry walled, and mudded today, then we'll paint, and somewhere along the way we'll put doors in and bring the stairs up to code. Speaking of "code" - it was so nice to have the inspector come in on Monday and simply look around and say, "You're good to go. Call me when you're finished for the final inspection." Now it's all up to us. The goal is having it totally finished (with the exception of maybe carpet $$$$$) before the week of the musical, June 5-8. So if you want to come to the play and stay with us you can. The bedrooms are spoken for, but there will be plenty of space in the NEW BASEMENT!

The only visible window in the new basement. Unfortunately the other four are in the storeroom part behind the left wall. Hey, what's wrong with a well lit storeroom?

Can you believe that we are using Liquid Nails to attach these boards to the steel beams? Amazing stuff.

Picture the stairs with railing and slats or spindles of some kind. It will be safe - as long as you don't try to come down head first.

What in the world are You doing?

I've stopped trying to figure God out. I give up! Actually, I gave up - a long time ago. My job is not to "figure him out" but to know Him, seek Him, and love Him. To figure Him out, I would have to be God myself. I can't know how He works or why He does what He does. Besides that, I don't need to know. What I need to know is that He loves me! What I need to know is that I can trust Him! What I need to know is that He will take care of me no matter what this temporary life throws at me, and He will see me through every hard time and use it to help me draw even closer to Him.
I know what His ultimate plan is and that means I don't have to know how He will carry out His plan. I see the here and now. I want peace and happiness here and now. I want it fixed if it needs fixing, you guessed it - here and now. Our Father sees yesterday, today, and tomorrow on the same spiritual screen. He's in all three. He started things moving decades ago to answer a prayer I offer today so this His plan will be carried out tomorrow. How incredible is that?
So why does sad and terrible things happen to godly people? If you're a parent, you know that sometimes all you can say to your child is "because." Sometimes things happen just because we are living in a world with natural laws that include everyone of us. We're just visitors and we have no promise or guarantee of how many days we will have. We don't deserve any. Every single day is a blessing. Sometimes God intervenes to carry out His will, sometimes it's His will that His natural laws dictate what happens. Why? When? We'll never know in this life. But every day is a blessing from Him and that's always true whether it's decades of life or days in a womb.
"Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen"
Lord, help my unbelief so I will continue to stop trying to figure You out.

Wildlife In The Burbs

Donna was able to get a picture of this duck sitting on her nest of eggs right under our large picture window overhang on the back of our house. I suspected that she was sitting a nest of eggs when I watched her disappear under the window early in the morning a couple days in a row. When I tried to sneak around the side of the house and zoom in with my camera to get a picture, she flew out before I could. She didn't fly when Donna took her picture, so maybe she knew who the hunter in the family is. I thought she'd have a hard time keeping her eggs safe, with all the neighborhood cats I've seen prowling around, and with all the night-time wild critters that roam the night. Sure enough...

...these are her eggs, opened and eaten. Actually, whatever it was, my guess is a raccoon, came one night and got about four of them and she was back sitting on the remaining two eggs that day. Then the next night the eggs thief returned and got the remaining two eggs. Such is life. I wonder how many of all the eggs that are laid by wild ducks actually hatch? No one knows but God. Like I said, such is life - because this morning, Donna and I laughed to watch the drake chasing the nest-free hen all around the pond. That's wildlife! There's no grieving, remorse, or bad memories - just survival. That's they way God made them and when they, yes even ducks, function the way God made them to function, He is glorified by His creation. As I've said many times, how ironic is it that mankind, the only part of creation that is made in the image of God, is the only part that can choose to not glorify Him. Things are going to happen to all of us simply because we are part of nature, but we have the opportunity to live eternally if we will seek the One who made us.

Heart Songs

Between the usual "church work," the play, and the basement, there hasn't been any extra time to think about a blog, but I do want to just mention a couple of thoughts that have been running through my mind after having a disappointing discussion about fellowship with our Christian church brethren. And let ME be clear about my feelings. They are brothers and sisters - period - end of story! What part of "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" do we have an issue about? And I'm sorry if some still think using instrumental music is a salvation issue. That's a terrible misunderstanding of scripture and a terrible understanding of grace.
That is a bigger discussion than I want to get into here and now, but I will say this. Since I've been getting my voice treatments now - I've had four - which involves botox injections into my vocal chords which causes me to be able to only whisper for about two weeks and not be able to sing for about five to six weeks - I have a new perspective on singing and making melody in my heart to the Lord. I have always loved singing with my church family. It has been the single biggest tool that I've used to get truly "pumped up" before I share my message every Sunday morning. Now, it has to happen more in my heart than on my lips. Now, I have to "be admonished" by others more than I can be a giver and speak to others through songs. I say all that to simply make this point: I am more convinced than ever that God meant for singing to be a matter of the heart, and ALL ELSE IS INCIDENTAL! It's a tool given by God to help edify one another and to make the tool a ritual filled with legal specifications is simply missing the point.

Down In The Pits!

This is a picture of our basement that I posted almost a year ago after I did the biggest part of the framing. Well, I hit a "rough spot" after that as I tried to figure out how to do all the electrical work without paying big bucks and still obeying the county code. Short story: I couldn't figure out a way so I ended up paying an electrician to come do all the basic electrical. After some "missing things" the inspector pointed out were fixed or built, I finally got the "thumbs up" to move to the next stage. Last week I did all the insulation and yesterday, with some great friends showing up to help, we began doing the dry wall work. Finally it's starting to look like a room in a house and not a basement cave.

You never realize how many pipes, vents, wires, etc. you have in basement until you start having to box them in so you can dry wall around and over them. Oh the little pieces and the little cuts! It's so nice to have helpers who know how to do it.

For some reason we have white foot prints throughout our house. Not really, but the dust from cutting the dry wall is everywhere.

That little room on the left will be our new pantry - when it's finished and when we figure out a place to put all my hunting stuff that now fills the room. See the stack of dry wall on the floor? I hoping I figured it out exactly so we don't have to make any more trips up and down the stairs with more sheets. Paul Parrett and I carried fifty sheets down yesterday as Ken Teson, Ron Ebker, and Cary Paul used the rented dry wall lift to raise sheets up to the celling. It sure was nice to have so many helpers. In fact, this was going to be a blog about why it's so hard for some of us to ask for help - especially when we are willing to give it. These guys asked me if they could help and I now I don't know how I could have done it with out them. I smell a future blog!