I See Blessings

Holy Mysteries and Holy Cats!

2016-05-22T18:12:00.000-04:00

"God works in mysterious ways!"

Maybe you've heard that saying once or twice.
Maybe you've said it when you've seen God work things out in a way you didn't see coming.

There are a lot of things about God and the way he works that can be hard to understand. For instance, Christians declare that God exists as a holy Trinity. That is, there's the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and all three are God, but there is only one God. "God in three persons," we sing in one of the classic hymns. Each of the three is not "part" of God, and they don't represent varying aspects of God, but all three are in fact God in his fullness... and there is only one God. People have tried to use various analogies to explain this, but every analogy eventually falls short.

When we receive the Lord's Supper, we believe Christ is present, but how and what happens is the subject of debate. Different faith traditions explain it in different ways, but in the UMC, we explain what we can the best we can, and we say it is a "Holy Mystery". Personally, I love this expression, because you don't have to understand everything about something in order to accept and believe it.

There are many things we don't understand about God, but that's OK.

I was thinking about this over the past week as I've been watching the kittens play.

Bruce & Wayne are a handful!

This past week, Amber brought home two kittens,
     and they're very small,
          and they're very curious,
               and they're very energetic, to say the least!

Now there's a lot about our house, and about our rules, and about Amber and myself that these kittens don't understand yet. They don't quite understand - and I know they don't - why they're allowed to climb on a chair but not on the piano... or why they're allowed to go in certain rooms, but not others right now... or why they can attack their toys, but they can't climb the curtains...

All they know is they try stuff, and some stuff they can do, and other stuff they get scolded for.

Sometimes, the things they do seem silly.
     Last night, we found one sleeping under the couch.
          This morning, one started freaking out when he saw his reflection.

They have a lot to learn!

I was thinking about it, and I thought, Amber and I really hold these kittens' lives in our hands. It's up to us to take care of them and feed them, and we will. And if we wanted, we could get rid of them or we could hurt them, but we won't. We want to love them, and we want them to love us!

This morning, they were getting into the cables behind the TV, and if I redirected them once, I did it 15 times! But it's OK. They don't understand that if they bite cables, it could hurt them, and they'll probably never really understand that, but I corrected them because I don't want them to get hurt. With time, they'll hopefully learn not to go back there because they know I don't want them to - not because they understand everything, but because of our relationship.

And here's the thing: we want them to stop getting into certain things, but even when they keep messing up, that doesn't mean we're going to get rid of them. We might get mad if they break something by knocking it off the piano, but that doesn't mean we stop loving them.

The main thing is that we love them, and we want them to love us and to get along with each other when they grow up.

In our relationship with God, I think it's the same way. He wants us to listen, and he wants us to learn, but he also knows that we can't understand everything at once. We may never fully grasp the concept of the Trinity or what really happens at Communion. We may not understand all the reasons why God says certain things aren't good for us, or why he's redirecting us away from something we want. But what he does want us to understand is, first of all, that he loves us and he's caring for us, even if we don't always understand it - that's what the cross was all about (Romans 5:8); and secondly, he wants us to love. Jesus said the most important thing is 1) Love God, and 2) Love Neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40).

I don't have every answer about the things of God, and I don't have to.

I will continue to listen and try to become more and more who I know God wants me to be.

The place to start is to focus on how I show my love for him and my love for those around me.

And I'm so thankful that, even when I mess up, he forgives and continues to love!

What will you do to grow on toward perfect love this week?

The Great Gardener

2015-04-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination.

I don't have a green thumb - I have a black thumb...

The "flower bed" around our house is mostly dirt with some sorry looking green things sporadically growing here and there. They're supposed to be rose bushes, but we don't see roses very often...

Trees and bushes in our yard look pretty pitiful most of the time...

I once killed a cactus because I didn't water it often enough!

Yeah...

I like flowers enough to keep blogging about them - EXAMPLE 1, EXAMPLE 2 - but I guess some people were meant to cultivate, and others were meant to just stand back and admire!

That said, Amber and I have an ongoing argument every Spring. She insists that whenever dandelions start coming up, that means it's time to cut the grass. I, on the other hand, feel like it's a shame to cut these beautiful blooms down in the prime of their lives!

Yes, as much as I love roses and rhododendrons, I really have a soft spot in my heart for the lowly dandelion. To me, they are just beautiful!

     Maybe it partly has to do with how easy they are to find.
          Maybe it's because they're among the first signs that Spring has arrived.
     Maybe it's because I remember proudly collecting bouquets for Mom when I was little.
          Maybe it's because my black thumb doesn't affect them!!

Maybe I just love them because I feel like so many people take them for granted.

You call them weeds.

I call them flowers!

The other day, I saw a little patch as I was walking to the house, and I just said, "Thank you, God, for sending me flowers!" They brought a smile to my face. They reminded me that God cares about even the little details of our lives. They made me happy.

Or maybe the reason I love dandelions so much is because on some level, I kind of identify with them, at least on some level.

I mean, I believe that God creates each person on purpose, and we are each created with a plan in mind, but let's be honest: there are over 6 billion people on this earth today, and humans have been around for thousands of years - that's a LOT of people! It can be easy sometimes to wonder how or why God still cares about each and every one of us.

When I consider how many other people there are, and when I have a day where I don't particularly feel like there's anything that special about me... you could say I feel like just another dandelion in a field... but I'm not the first to feel that way...

"When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers -

the moon and the stars you set in place -

what are mere mortals that you should think about them,

human beings that you should care for them?

Yet you made them only a little lower than God

and crowned them with glory and honor."

- Psalm 8:3-5 (NLT)

Dandelions, to me, are a reminder that even when I feel small and insignificant, God planted me here for a reason, and he made me what I am on purpose. Even on days when I feel like I'm not all that important or all that appreciated or all that wonderful, God notices and he cares. I don't fully understand why he loves us so much, but I know that he does, and that's what really matters!

"Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"

- Matthew 6:28b-30 (NLT)

Thank you, Lord, for your unending love.

And thanks for being a much better gardener than I am! :-)

Training the Cat

2015-04-12T12:30:00.000-04:00

Did you know you can train a cat?

Me and my Buddy
He's a bit of a Daddy's boy :)

If you're like most people, you're probably thinking, "You don't train a cat - a cat trains you!" Well, in many cases, this may be true, but I want to share with you the story about how I trained my outside cat, Buddy, and what I learned about myself in the process.

Buddy is a yellow tabby, and we've had him since he was a kitten. He's pretty well-behaved, I'd say... at least most of the time...

Buddy has actually developed somewhat of a reputation in the neighborhood as a pretty adept hunter, even though we do feed him cat food every evening. One of my co-workers, Jacque, told her parents about our rabbit-hunting cat one day, and her parents decided to come out and see him for themselves. When they asked to see Buddy, I said OK, stepped outside, and hollered his name...

"You call him like a dog?"
"Yeah. Most dogs think they're people. I have a cat who thinks he's a dog!"
"You've got to be kidding me! I've never heard of a cat you could call like that!"

I yelled out for him one more time, and the next thing you knew, here he came, bounding across the street and meowing at the top of his lungs, as if to say, "Here I am! I'm coming, Dad!"

That's my Buddy! He meets us at the car when we get home. He walks ahead of us on the steps to the house. He even wags his tail when he's happy! And he's Daddy's boy... unless he acts up... ;)

So, as I was saying, Buddy is an outside cat. He has a little place set up on our porch that we refer to as his "house", and that's typically where he sleeps unless it's too hot out or we get a bad storm, in which case, he knows to go underneath the porch. The only times he comes in are when weather gets particularly harsh, maybe when we've been out for a long time, and often when it's about time for his cat food dinner.

It used to be that, if Buddy came in, the only way to get him to go back out was to get food or a treat and have it in your hand when you went to the door, or else you had to chase him around the house and under furniture to catch him and take him out! I felt like Buddy had trained us to feed him if we wanted him to go out... But then I had the brilliant idea to try to train the cat!

Buddy waits patiently to go outside!

Today, if Buddy comes in the house - whether it's dinner time or he just slipped past us as we were going in or whatever the reason - when it's time for him to go back out, all I have to do is walk to the door, call him, open the door, and say, "Go outside," and he usually will. I'd say I've had about 80-90% success rate in the last couple months!

How did I do it? Well... he thinks he's a dog, so I trained him like a dog! Using food and treats as incentives, I gradually taught him to trust me that, even if the food wasn't in my hand, or - after a while - even if it wasn't in sight, if he went outside when I told him to, he would be rewarded.

It took time. It took patience. Many times, it took forcing him to go, and then rewarding him even though he didn't do it by choice. It took consistency. Gradually, we got to the point where, if he didn't go out for me, I tried a few times, but then I would just get him and put him out without a treat, and we'd try again another time. Slowly, he learned that it was better to listen. Eventually, we got to the place where, if it wasn't Dinner time, the only reward was, "Good boy," when he went outside, but he knew to go outside for me the next time because next time would probably come with food or a treat.

Buddy is living proof, then, that Yes, you CAN in fact train a cat! They may be strong-willed. They may not listen every time. But it can be done!

So what did I learn about myself along the way?

I learned that Buddy and I are not all that different. "Like Daddy, like Buddy," you might say! I can be pretty strong-willed, myself. I don't always want to do what my Father tells me. Whether it's a case of just not understanding why His way is best, thinking that I know better than He does, or just not wanting to step out of my comfort zone, sometimes I've been guilty sometimes of running the other way or trying to hide when my Father tells me to "Go outside."

I think we're all like that sometimes, aren't we? Have you ever felt God tugging on your heart when you saw a homeless person or a hitchhiker, but you didn't stop because you weren't sure they could be trusted or it would take a few extra minutes out of your day? Have you ever had the strong feeling that you should talk to someone about the Lord, but then you kept your mouth shut because you weren't sure what they would think or how they would react? Have you ever let something go un-checked in your life that you knew was wrong, but you just thought, "Aw, it won't hurt anybody. It's just a little thing."? (Suddenly, it's not so easy to condemn Jonah for running the other way after God called him to preach in Nineveh, huh?)

He really is a good boy!

We all have our moments of stubbornness, but God wants to teach us to trust Him. He wants us to learn that His ways are best. He wants us to listen to His voice. So what does He do? He gives us time. He's patient. Sometimes He does things to actually force us to do what He wants - not because He's being hateful, but because He wants us to learn to do the right things on our own! Sometimes when we do right, we see His immediate blessings, and other times, the best we get for now is knowing that He is pleased and the reward will come later.

Of course, no analogy is perfect. I don't mean to imply that our entire relationship with God is as condescending as a master training a pet. We are not saved by our ability to live up to everything God wants us to do - we couldn't do it if we tried! He truly loves us, though... so much that He was willing to send Jesus to die in our place so that, even when we fail to live up to His perfect standards, we are still favored in His eyes. When our faith is in Jesus, we will receive the reward, even if we still haven't learned all that God wants to teach us!

But for what it's worth, I'm glad that God hasn't given up on trying to teach me to do better. I'm even coming to recognize it as a blessing when God tells me to "Go outside" and do something - even if it isn't always what I would have picked for myself!

It's a blessing just to know that He calls me by name... and I want to come running every time He calls!

"Here I am! I'm coming, Dad!"

Marital Spats

2014-02-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

Maybe this seems like an odd post for Valentine's Day, but let's face the facts: If you get married, you will have arguments with your spouse. That shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.

What shocks me is the number of people I've heard who use this as an excuse to move in with their partner without ever making it official. They think, for some reason, that if they don't get married, they won't fight - or better yet, they think that by not getting married, this will be a good thing because it will allow them to walk away when the fights come... and the fighting does come, whether you're married or not! Any time you have two or more individuals who spend enough time together, there will be conflicts and misunderstandings, at least from time to time. It's natural, and I would even say it can be healthy if it's handled in the right way.

Some people see marriage as nothing more than a piece of paper or a legal contract, but I see it as a long-term commitment, which is why I think it's not something to go into lightly. It's important that both partners think seriously about what they're getting into and the vows they're taking in the sight of God and man. It wouldn't be right to force someone into a marriage they can't commit to! But it's also not something to shy away from when you know that both of you are ready. Marriage can be a beautiful thing for two people who are committed to loving one another and are willing to weather the storms as they come, one at a time.

Amber and I have certainly weathered our fair share of the storms. You know, just because I became a pastor, that doesn't automatically mean that either of us is the perfect spouse all the time. There are still moments when one of us will say something stupid, not considering how the other might take it. There are still days when one of us just gets in a bad mood or has a bad day at work. There are times when one will feel strongly one way about something and the other will feel strongly another way. Sometimes we argue over something as insignificant as what to have for dinner, and other times it's something as important as the best way to handle our finances.

A couple years ago, Amber and I went through a stretch of probably six months where it seemed like we just couldn't click. One day, she would be in a bad mood; the next day, it would be me. Hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and arguments abounded. Our fights never turned violent, but something was definitely wrong, and it took several lengthy conversations and lots of prayer to finally come out of our slump.

I'll never forget one conversation we had near the end of that period. We were both tired of the way things had been going, and we'd had it out good that night, both of us laying issues on the table and trying hard to get across to each other why we felt the way we did. Finally, we laid down in the bed and she cuddled up under my arm, and she said to me:

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but in a way... I'm kinda happy we've been fighting so much lately."

WHAT?! I don't get it!

"Don't get me wrong. It's not that I want us to be fighting, but... in a way, it's kind of a good thing, because we're working on issues that are important to both of us, and by us fighting about it, that just shows that we both really care!"

I'll never forget that, and I'm so happy because she's right. You know, when it seems like you're fighting a lot, it could be easy to bottle up your feelings and not talk about what's bothering you, but if you let it fester, eventually you'll just explode! It could be just as easy to decide the relationship is just not worth the frustration, and to just walk out, and this is what a lot of people eventually choose to do when it seems like they can't work anything out.

I'm not saying that if you're in a relationship with constant fighting, that everything will always work out fine. People do sometimes grow apart, and it's important to know that both partners are still committed to the relationship. It's pretty hard to work it out with someone who refuses to work it out with you! I'm also definitely not saying that someone should stay in an abusive relationship, because that's not healthy or good for anyone!

But what I am saying is...

Just because it's raining now, that doesn't mean the storm will last forever.

Just because you fight and argue - even if it lasts for a difficult season - that doesn't mean it's not worth it, and it doesn't mean you don't love each other. In fact, it might just be proof that it IS and you DO!

I'm so thankful to have a wife who loves me enough to bicker and fight with me without giving up on me! I know that we both know we're in this for keeps, come rain or shine, for better or for worse - and I wouldn't trade that for anything!

"Happy Holidays"

2013-12-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

Over the past few years, it seems, I've heard more and more people complaining about the so-called "War on Christmas". Atheist groups would like to remove Nativity scenes (among other religious symbols) from public spaces, and children in public schools are being asked not to sing religious songs as part of their school pageants. These and other things have caused quite a stir among Christians who fear that our nation is being "de-Christianized" because their traditions are being laid aside in favor of those that are more inclusive to other faiths.

One of the biggest complaints I've seen is from those who are offended that many people working in stores are being asked to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" to their customers.

I've heard some Christians make this into a big deal because they believe this is somehow infringing on their freedom to express their beliefs. And I have to admit that, at first, I was a little put off when I heard or saw the alternate greeting because I bought the line that this was some form of religious persecution...

But the more I've thought about it, the more I like the "Happy Holidays" greeting (or at least I've come to peace with it) and I'd like to share with you my reasons why.

First of all - and this is the most obvious reason - I am not so naive as to believe that Christmas is the only holiday that falls during this time of year, nor do I believe that we as Christians should have a monopoly on festive celebrations!

The fact is, whether you like it or not, that there are people in this world (and likely in your own neighborhood) who are not Christians. Not only that, but (prepare yourself) some of them are even of another faith besides Christianity, and Christmas is not a part of their heritage!

Would I like for everyone to enjoy the celebration of the holiday that commemorates the birth of our Savior? YES!
Would I like for every person in the world to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus as their Lord and Savior? ABSOLUTELY!
Will forcing non-Christians to wish me "Merry Christmas" accomplish this? NO WAY!

In fact, if you haven't noticed yet, whenever you shove something down someone's throat, it doesn't tend to make them love it as much as it tends to make them want to... regurgitate! If you want to spread the Christian faith, then, forcing it upon them might not be as effective as, I don't know, living a daily life that is transformed by the message of Christmas and being prepared to give an answer when people ask for the reason for the hope that is within you! Tell people about Jesus, by all means, but remember, you'll catch a lot more flies with honey than you will with vinegar!

So while I always like to hear Merry Christmas, I'm not at all opposed to telling people that I hope they're happy while they celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or whatever they like because, in the spirit of Christ, I do wish for peace and happiness for others, even if we may never see eye to eye. I wish no ill-will toward people of other faiths, even if I think they're wrong, because I believe firmly that God loves them so much that he sent his Son to die for them just as much as for me.

That's the central message of Christmas, isn't it? - that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son for anyone who would turn to him, regardless of who they are or where they came from. God sent his Son for us before we believed in him - knowing that many would reject him - so that whoever would believe would be saved. And if I truly believe that, then I have to be tolerant and loving toward others, because I have to believe that God is still reaching out to them - maybe even through me - just as he reached out to me! In the name of the peace and love of God, I wish my neighbors happiness, no matter what holiday they might celebrate!

But the second, perhaps less obvious reason I've learned to be happy with "Happy Holidays" is because I started to realize that even for Christians, there is more than one holiday to celebrate during this season!

In the church, we begin the season of Advent four Sundays before Christmas. Advent, historically, is a time to focus not just on the fact that Christ came at Christmas, but on the fact that Christ has promised to return, and we look forward to his coming kingdom!
In many countries, December 5th or 6th is celebrated as the feast of Saint Nicholas (the 4th century priest who was so transformed by the message of Christ that he was moved to legendary acts of great generosity). For more on Saint Nicholas, you may like this recent post on my other blog.
Christmas Day, on the Christian calendar, is really the first day of Christmastide. Many people think the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" refers to the 12 days leading up to Christmas Day, but that's actually backwards. In fact, many cultures make a big deal out of each of the 12 days starting with Christmas Day and leading up to January 6th. During this time, they set celebrate many of the saints of old and stories from the Bible - like Stephen, the first Christian martyr, whose story is recorded in the book of Acts.
January 6th is often referred to as Epiphany or Theophany. In Eastern Christianity, they use this time to focus on the significance of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. In the West, we use this day to remember the Magi who visited baby Jesus in Matthew 2, which highlights again the important message that Jesus came not just for a few people, but for the whole world!

Not to mention, many churches are in the habit of hosting special services for the New Year...

And this, really, is just the tip of the iceberg! I don't have near enough space or time here to go into all the details of all the many celebrations Christians in different places have during this time of the year around the world! When you really get down to it, then, just about every day from Thanksgiving until after the New Year is a holy day for us as Christians! How can we be offended when someone wishes us happiness in the midst of all our various holidays?!

Oh, there may very well be a "War on Christmas". I don't doubt for one minute that there are those who would love to silence the Gospel message in any way they can! But during this most holy season, I refuse to let anyone steal my joy by wishing me "Happy Holidays", and in fact, I see that expression as a beautiful thing!

So MERRY CHRISTMAS! to you, if you celebrate Christmas...

And regardless of what your beliefs are, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! to you, as well!!!

The Right Words at the Right Time

2013-10-18T22:08:00.001-04:00

Earlier today, Dad e-mailed me a devotion from Max Lucado about being thankful in the midst of difficult things. Lucado referred to 1 Corinthians 11, where Paul says of Jesus: "On the night in which he was betrayed, he took the bread and gave thanks..." - What an amazing example!

Dad sent it to me just because he said it was what he needed to hear today, and he thought it was good. I thought it was good, too, so I turned around and actually read it and talked about it briefly on the air on Walk-FM. But what neither of us knew yet is that it was exactly what I needed to hear today, too. I continued to think about it and shared it with Amber, and - without getting into all the details - this devotion ended up being an encouragement to us later on, when our afternoon took an unexpected turn!

All this to say, first of all, that yes, you can still be thankful in the middle of trying times.

In addition to that, it just reminded me of the truth that one word can inspire people you may never even realize. I'm sure that, when Max Lucado wrote his devotion, he didn't know that Dad or Amber or me would need to hear it today, just like I have no idea who might've been listening to Walk FM or who will be reading this blog and needed to be encouraged, too - but God put the right words in the right place for the right people to hear them at the right time, and that's pretty awesome, if you ask me!

So if you're struggling through something right now, I want to encourage you to still be thankful. Thank God for the blessings you know he's already given you. Thank him for the blessings that lie ahead because you know that he has promised good things! "Rejoince in the Lord always," Paul said (Philippians 4:4).

And don't be afraid to speak up when you see God's blessings. Don't be afraid to share the encouragement you've received with others, because you never know who might be listening, who might be reading, or who might hear it from a friend who told a friend what you said. You never know, but somebody might be strengthened, encouraged, or have their whole life changed just because you were willing to let God speak the right words through you to someone in need!

Tonight, I had to go back over to the radio station to finish up some work before the weekend. While I was working, Chris Tomlin came on the radio, singing "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)", and I had to just stop what I was doing for a minute and listen. I was thinking back about how this day had been a day of big ups and downs. And I just had to praise God for his wonderful amazing grace that went ahead of me and brought just the right words at just the right time to sustain me!

Our God truly is an awesome God!

Changing Seasons

2013-10-15T21:22:00.000-04:00

"For everything there is a season,

and a time for every matter under heaven..."

- Ecclesiastes 3:1

When I was a kid, my favorite season was Summer, because that meant we were out on vacation from school. I know many of my classmates were thrilled in the Winter when we would have snow days. As I've gotten older, I've found more pleasure in the flowers and new life visible in the Springtime. Meanwhile, my wife always loves the changing colors of leaves in the Autumn.

There is beauty in every season

Whether you prefer to look forward to the holidays that come in the Winter or the warmer temperatures that come once it's past, there's really something to love about every season - different as each one might be from the rest!

The same thing might be said for the seasons of our lives.

In the Springtime, we are infants and children, just budding forth with new life, growing, learning, becoming what we will be.

In the Summer, we reach adulthood. We hopefully continue to grow, as we sink our roots in deep and spread our branches in many directions.

In the Autumn, we begin to see some of the fruits of our labors. Whether those fruits are good or not depends in part on the decisions we've made and how we live our lives (see Galatians 5:19-23). Having borne good fruits also means we have the ability to spread our blessings around - to create opportunities for new blessings in other places.

Then, in the Winter, there is still beauty when the snow covers the hilltop, because a life well-lived is a beautiful thing in itself, and worthy of respect.

"Young people take pride in their strength,

but the gray hairs of wisdom are even more beautiful."

- Proverbs 20:29 (CEV)

Of course, there are things we dislike in every season, as well. Children wish to be adults, adults wish they could retire, and seniors often wish they had their youth back. There are also bad things that can happen in any season.Sometimes a stalk is cut down in the prime of life. Sometimes the cold of Winter is just too bitter. And sometimes the transition between seasons seems sudden, jarring, and unwelcome.

But as I meditate on the potential and the beauty of each season, I am comforted by the thought that God is in every season with us. When we go through seasons of growth, God is the one who makes the flowers bud and blossom. When the Summer heat is too hot, God provides us with moments of shade and cool breezes. Even in moments of loss, when the leaves are falling around our feet, God gives beauty to the memories, and he plants the seeds of new things yet to come, so that later, in the death of Winter, he can promise that a time of rebirth is just around the corner!

I don't know if you're a fan of Autumn leaves or not, and I don't know what season you might feel like you're going through in your life. But I do know that in every season, no matter what else is going on, God is there. Look for the signs of beauty, even in the season you're going through right now, and there you will find signs of God's faithfulness and reminders of his blessings.

One of my favorite hymns has always been "Great Is Thy Faithfulness", penned by fellow Kentuckian Thomas O. Chisholm in 1923. The 2nd stanza reads:

"Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided;
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

How has God seen you through growing pains or periods of pruning? How has he sheltered you in the rainy seasons or warmed your heart in the deep cold of Winter? How have you seen his faithfulness and his blessings in the midst of the various seasons of your life?

Praying for Peace

2013-09-11T16:54:00.000-04:00

Over the past few weeks, the war in Syria has stepped into the spotlight after reports that the government used chemical weapons to wipe out hundreds of people. Immediately, there were cries demanding justice, which led to UN inspections and heightened rhetoric from nations around the world. Whether or not the United States will send troops into the area is still up in the air, and it's sparked a huge controversy. On one hand, there are those who say we cannot allow a government to get away with war crimes against its own people, and something must be done - whether by military force or some other means. But on the other hand, I've heard a lot of people saying it's none of our business - that the US needs to focus on its own problems and stay out of Syria at any cost.

I have to admit I don't know all the details, but what I do know is that it's a complicated situation. I don't want to see us rush headlong into another war, but at the same time, we can't just sit idly by and watch injustice continue. If you see a crime taking place and you do nothing to stop it, then you may as well be participating in the crime yourself (Proverbs 29:24).

So what are we to do?

Right now, I think one of the most important things we can do is to pray for our leaders. Pray for them to have wisdom to know the right thing to do and courage to carry it out. We should be praying for the people of Syria, too, that this war for them will end soon, that lives will be spared, and that peace will come in their hearts and their lives.

Sometimes, when all the voices you hear are calling for violence and war, you think that's the only option, but I was so thankful when I heard that the Pope had called for an interfaith day of prayer and fasting for peace this past Saturday. It reminds me that I am not alone in my desire to see both justice and peace, but there is unity among Christians, and in fact, there is a certain amount of unity we can have with people of other faiths.

Finding that sense of unity and emphasizing the call not just for justice but for peace is also especially important, given that today marks another anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Our world needs less fear and less violence, and more peace.

With that in mind, I want to share these prayers I found in the United Methodist Book of Worship today. May these be the prayers we all share! Will you pray with me?

This first one is a prayer intended for "Peace with Justice Sunday" (first Sunday after Pentecost):

From self-righteousness that will not compromise,
and from selfishness that gains by the oppression of others, O Lord, deliver us.
From the lust for money or power that drives to kill, O Lord, deliver us.
From trusting in the weapons of war,
and mistrusting the councils of peace, O Lord deliver us.
From hearing, believing, and speaking lies about other nations, O Lord, deliver us.
From suspicions and fears that stand in the way of reconciliation, O Lord, deliver us.
From words and deeds that encourage discord, prejudice, and hatred;
from everything that prevents us from fulfilling your promise of peace,
O Lord, deliver us.
Amen.

These others are listed as prayers "for the nation":

Teach us, God of every nation,
   to see every question of national policy in the light of our faith,
   that we may check in ourselves and in others
   every passion that makes for war, all ungenerous judgment,
   all promptings of self-assurance, all presumptuous claims.
Grant us insight to recognize the needs and aspirations of other nations,
   and remove our suspicions and misunderstandings,
   that we may honor all people in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Look graciously, O Lord, upon this land.
Where it is in pride, subdue it.
Where it is in need, supply it.
Where it is in error, rectify it.
Where it is in default, restore it.
And where it holds to that which is just and compassionate, support it.
Amen.

God of all the ages,
   in your sight nations rise and fall, and pass through times of peril.
Now when our land is troubled, be near to judge and save.
May leaders be led by your wisdom;
   may they search your will and see it clearly.
If we have turned from your way,
   reverse our ways and help us to repent.
Give us your light and your truth, let them guide us;
through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of this world, and our Savior. Amen.

In the midst of these trying times filled with violence and terrorism and war and rumors of wars, I am blessed as I remember that the God of all creation is still yet in control. So I trust him, and I pray for his creation, that we might all turn to him more fully and receive his peace and love.

"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

- Philippians 4:6-7

Will you continue to pray with me?

"Look With Your Special Eyes!"

2013-08-29T10:31:00.000-04:00

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

- Matthew 5:8

A couple years ago, they came out with a commercial for 1-800-CONTACTS that really cracked me up! It's done in the overly-dramatic style of a soap opera, sort of. It begins with a woman telling her husband that she ordered his contact lenses, and the package has arrived.

"They can't have my brand," he says. "I have special eyes."
She opens the package and shows him... "Look! Look with your special eyes!"
And when he looks, he is overcome with emotion, "My brand!"

Maybe it's just because I'm legally blind, but for whatever reason, that has been one of my favorite commercials from the first time I saw it. I even shared it on my Facebook page a while back!

Well, if there's one thing I've tried to do throughout this blog, it's to let you have a glimpse at the world as I see it, and to encourage you to then look at the world through your own special eyes - or "holy eyes", as I termed it in my post about seeing Unexpected Crosses. There, I challenged you to look for God in the midst of mundane things, so I was thrilled when one of my co-workers recently came to me with this example - courtesy of 1-800-CONTACTS.*

* I have no relationship with 1-800-CONTACTS and am not being paid to promote their service, but hey, if they should happen to see this and want to offer me money, I won't turn it down! ;-)

My co-worker, Jacque, brought me this box a few weeks ago and said, "Maybe you can use this as a sermon illustration someday." I thought I'd share it here. It's a box like you might receive if you ordered from the above-named company who isn't paying me for product placement. (Hint, hint!)

"I am..." the slogan begins. Several "I am" statements cover each end of the box.

   "I am a live chat at 11pm."
       "I am a hand-written note."
            "I am open 24 hours a day / 7 days a week."
                 "I am a call, click, or visit away."

Examples from the other end of the box include, "I am 9 million customers served" and "I am satisfaction guaranteed."

Right away my mind runs to the story in the Bible where Moses encounters God in the burning bush. God is calling Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land, but Moses wonders, "How can I possibly accomplish this?" God says, "You can do it because I am with you." Then Moses asks, "If they ask me who sent me, what can I say?" And God replies, "I AM WHO I AM. Tell them that I AM has sent you!" (paraphrasing Exodus 3:7-14)

It's a powerful moment in the story, because God is saying so much with so few words. He's talking about the fact that he is all-powerful, that he is eternal, that he is bigger than any obstacle or any weakness. It's a moment where God is basically saying, "All your doubts and questions can be laid aside if you'll just remember who you're talking to!" As I see all the "I am" statements on the contacts box, I'm reminded that God is many of those things.

   God is in a late night conversation with a friend.
       He's in a note of encouragement someone gives you, and he reveals himself in his Word.
      God is available, even when you feel like you have no other friends.
              He's always just a prayer away, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

"The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth."

- Psalm 145:18

As I've mentioned in other posts, God is everywhere. He's in your favorite childhood memories. He's in relationships with other people. He's in a ray of sunshine on your darkest days. He's even in the clouds, if you look for him! You can recognize God's presence with you anywhere, if you just remember who he is, what he's promised, and what he can do!

And God is dependable.
   When our love fails, his love remains steadfast (Psalm 136).
       When we are weak, he is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
            When things seem impossible to us, they are possible for him (Matthew 19:26).

What a blessing it is to know that when your trust is in the Lord, you never have to feel alone, and you never have to be afraid!

Pop in some holy contact lenses - "Look with your special eyes!" - and see how God is at work everywhere, leading you, protecting you, teaching you, helping you. Seek the Lord earnestly, and he will reveal himself to you! (Jeremiah 29:13)

That commercial still makes me laugh! :-)

Lofty Mountain Grandeur

2013-08-12T16:39:00.000-04:00

This past week, Amber and I went to visit her family in the state of Delaware (Dela-where?), and then on Friday, we drove down to Virginia for a wedding ceremony for one of Amber's cousins.

Amber and I have made the trip to Delaware and back several times in the six years since we moved back to Kentucky, but because of the wedding in Virginia, we had to take a different route home than we're used to this time, and I have to say, I'm so glad we had to go the way we did!

I've lived in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky for most of my life, and I've always been fascinated by the beauty of nature, so whenever we travel, I'm often looking out my window at the mountains and valleys we go past. But our new route this time took us through the rolling hills of Virginia and the great mountains of Southern West Virginia, and it was an absolutely breath-taking ride! At one point, Amber had to ask if I was alright, because my eyes were glued as wide open as they could get, and I was just staring out the window! I was just mesmerized by what I was seeing!!

Thankfully, as we were driving up the West Virginia Turnpike, I finally had the good sense to take out my phone and snap a few pictures of the amazing scenery...

As I took it all in, I couldn't help but think of how great God is. His works are truly amazing!

"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
      your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
      your judgements are like the great deep;
      you save humans and animals alike, O Lord."

- Psalm 36:5-6

"You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
     God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
     and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power,
     having armed yourself with strength...
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
     where morning dawns, where evening fades,
     you call forth songs of joy."

- Psalm 65:5-6, 8 (NIV)

"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
      which cannot be moved, but abides for ever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
      so the Lord surrounds his people,
      from this time on and for evermore."

- Psalm 125:1-2

I was also struck by the bravery of those early pioneers who had first forged a path through this wilderness, long before anything like an Interstate was ever imagined!

It's such a blessing to consider that we are like little ants in this great big giant world, and yet we can make a difference with a little hard work and determination. It's an even greater blessing to know that even though we are so seemingly small and insignificant, the great God who created all these things still watches over us and cares for us! (see Psalm 8)

Of course, Amber and I were thrilled to get to spend time with family and loved ones in Delaware and Virginia. We always look forward to the times we get to share there... And after a week away and so many hours on the road, we're so thankful to be safe at home and have our own bed again... But I just had to praise the Lord for the journey in between!

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name for ever;
may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen!"
- Psalm 72:18-19

Middletown, Mayberry and Memories

2013-07-04T09:36:00.000-04:00

It's funny what things stick with you and what things don't.

Every year, about this time, my mind takes me back to a simpler time.

"Oh, criminy!"
This is my Granny Bickham

I was very blessed, when I was little, to know all 4 of my grandparents, plus my great-grandmother - or "Granny", as I always called her. I have specific memories of each of them that stand out. Thankfully, I still have one left! (Love you, Grandma!) But I wish I could remember more...

One of my favorite memories was when we used to go up to visit Granny in Middletown, IN, every few summers. We kids would run and play in the yard a lot of the time, but when it was too hot out, Granny would go down in the basement and find a toy or a game for us.

One day, she introduced us to Rummikub. I remember begging her to play game after game for hours! Maybe part of the fun was that she let us win from time to time. I can still hear her, once in a while, saying...

"Well, that's not really in the rules, Honey,

but I'll let you get away with it this time!"

She knew the point was just to have fun, and she wasn't gonna let some pesky rules get in the way!

What I really cherish, though, is just the memory of spending time with her. While we were just trying to match our numbers up, she would also ask us about how we were doing in school or what sorts of things we were into, and she would often tell us stories about what life used to be like before our time. The older I got, the more I looked forward to those stories...

I'm afraid too many families today don't take the time to play games and just talk to each other anymore. Busy schedules and fancy electronics have taken a lot of that away, but I'm thankful for those memories. While I'm at it, I'm thankful that my family always insisted that we eat dinner at the table together. It couldn't have always been easy to work it out, but somehow we did it more often than not! I didn't know how important that together time was until I was older looking back.

I remember how we even used to watch TV together, which I imagine would be nearly impossible for many families today! Back then - I wish this didn't make me sound like a dinosaur - you could watch TV all day without hearing a cuss word or seeing a single "wardrobe malfunction"! (Shocking, I know!)

Meeting "The Mayberry Deputy"
David Browning on July 4, 2009

One year in the early '90s, we were at Granny's house for July 4th, and one of the local channels played a marathon of The Andy Griffith Show. For 16-hours it was on, and I can remember Dad scrambling to find blank VHS tapes so he could record it to rewatch later! I'm not sure where they are now, but I know we still had those tapes when I went to college (along with several others). They probably got worn out from being played so much!

Memories of watching Andy Griffith with family are partly why I still love the show today!

Years later, Granny moved away from that house. She passed away in early 2011, and I'm so thankful I got the chance to say goodbye right before the end. "Precious memories! How they linger!"

Then Andy Griffith died on July 3, 2012, and that was a very sad day. I wrote some thoughts about Andy after his passing on my other blog last year. The closeness to Independence Day, I'm sure, will ensure that these memories always come back, year after year, but I've thought back about Granny and those tapes probably every summer since high school.

So on July 4th, I'm reminded of how blessed I am to live in this great nation, yes, but I'm also reminded that my blessings don't stop there! Every year, I remember those tapes... that marathon... us kids piled in the floor, laughing just as hard as the adults... I can still see Granny's old TV and that old house... I can still see Granny sitting at the dining room table, teaching us to cheat at Rummikub... and I can see the family gathered around the table later to eat dinner.

Truly, God's blessings are too numerous to count!

And greater still is the knowledge now that God was blessing me over and over, without me even knowing what was happening! Funny how he always does that!

Isn't God amazing?

Happy Fourth, everybody!

Unity of Believers

2013-06-13T09:29:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it can be discouraging to be at a small church. You wonder why it doesn't grow. You wonder if what you're doing is making a difference. Maybe you even begin to feel isolated, like you're the only ones left serving the Lord - much like the prophet Elijah felt in 1 Kings 19. The truth, though, is that you cannot measure the impact of your work - especially when you work together with others - and you are definitely not alone. Just as God reminded Elijah that there were thousands of others who had not bowed to false gods, so we know there are others around the globe who also serve our God, and this can be a great comfort to us at times.

One of the great blessings of the Church, I think, is the knowledge that there are so many different kinds of people all around the world - folks from various races, cultures and nations - and yet we can be joined together through our common faith in the Almighty.

This is something beautiful God has really highlighted for me over the past few years, as Amber and I have had opportunities to occasionally worship and work with believers from other churches and cultures. I've been reminded of it when we've visited other churches while on vacation, or when people who normally attend other churches have come to visit ours. And it's been on my mind a lot this week, as Amber and I just came home from the Kentucky Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

At Conference, we celebrated together the various ministries of churches across the state, we saw new missionaries commissioned to work in far away places, and we came together as one group - not just to worship, but to BE the Church by doing holy work in union.

One way we worked together at Conference was through our "Afternoon of Service". This is something they started doing a few years ago, where those attending Conference are asked to volunteer an afternoon to do acts of kindness for others. There are various projects you can choose - anything from giving blood to installing ramps for the disabled, visiting people in the hospital, or organizing food for the homeless.

Amber and I joined a group writing letters of
encouragement to soldiers and their families.

In all, 900 volunteers this year worked on over 40 separate projects, and it cheers my heart to see so many people coming together to work in the name of Jesus.

CLICK HERE to read a news article about Afternoon of Service.

Another sign of solidarity was shown at our Missions Celebration, Tuesday night, when representatives from each of the churches in the Conference came forward to give an offering to benefit Imagine No Malaria, an initiative aimed at eliminating death in Africa caused by malaria. I was overjoyed Wednesday morning to learn that together we had given $108,000 for the cause. Then I was thrilled Wednesday afternoon to learn that the West Ohio Annual Conference has made a pledge to raise $3.5 million!

I am so encouraged as I remember that the Church is not small, and the Church is not limited to the people I see every Sunday or even the people I see when I go to Annual Conference. It isn't even limited to the UMC - large as it might be - which I think is wonderful! Millions of people around the world are part of this one great family!

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all."

- Ephesians 4:4-5

It's a sad thing for a Christian or a church to feel alone. You are not alone! You are never alone! You are always surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. You are always part of a great body of believers that stretches around the globe. And God himself is always with you!

Sadder still is when a Christian or a church chooses isolation or division. We are meant to be together! We are meant to encourage one another and to spur one another on to love and good deeds! We are meant to strengthen and sharpen each other! We're meant to show the rest of the world that peace and unity are possible with God's help!

When Elijah was depressed, God reminded him that he was not alone, and the next thing he did was to put him back to work.

How can you get back to work for God today?
How can you show unity with others who are also serving God the best they can?
How can you just reach out and love on somebody today?

There are so many painful divisions in this world, but I am blessed as I remember that God loves all of us, and he has called us together to be one people with the one purpose of glorifying him. Though each individual may have his own unique personality and skills and story, still we are one perfect whole together. And we can express that by welcoming people, by learning from them and by reaching out to help others in a variety of ways in Christian love!

May Flowers

2013-06-03T13:05:00.000-04:00

This life is filled with many seasons, but I don't just mean Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. I mean there are seasons where everything seems especially good and there are seasons where everything seems especially bad. There are seasons of happiness and seasons of grieving. Seasons when everything falls into place and seasons where everything falls to pieces.

Beauties in bloom
on the back of our barn

A few months ago, I talked about seasons on my other blog, and I pointed out the importance of remembering that God is with you, no matter what season you happen to be going through. Today I found myself thinking about seasons again.

Personally, I've been going through a season of being extremely busy. Between work at the radio station, work at church and another project I'm working on, I've felt for the last couple months like I just run from one thing to another, without hardly a break! And when I do sit down, sometimes all I can do is think about how much I need to get up and get busy again if I ever want to get things done!

I haven't even had time to blog for over a month!

But as I was thinking about this today, I was reminded that all this busyness is not without a purpose. What we're doing at the radio station right now has been long overdue, and in a few more weeks, the overhaul there will be done and folks should notice a major improvement. The work of the church may keep me busy, but it's good work, and you never know just how many lives can be touched. There's nothing I want to do more than to influence lives in the name of Jesus Christ! And my special project is something I hope will eventually lead to a little extra income, but will also hopefully expand my ability to reach and influence lives for Christ; and again, once I get some initial things out of the way, the work load will lighten for me, so that'll be good.

Some are blooming, others are just budding
with the promise of new life!

Just as the old saying reminds us that, "April showers bring May flowers," so I remember that all this busyness is but a season, and it's a season with a reason. I know there will be a benefit in the end for the work I put in today. This encourages me to press forward on those days when I begin to feel like life is pressing down on me!

It's important to remember the temporary nature of our struggles. "And it came...to pass," as my mother always says.

It's important, also, to stop and smell those May flowers when they come!

If you never stop and enjoy the benefits of your labor, then it's easy to feel defeated when it seems like the work will never end. But if you stop and give thanks for the little things along the way, then the work doesn't seem near as hard.

Take time to celebrate little achievements!

Set mini-goals and reward yourself as you reach each one!

Take breaks now and then, just to relax, recharge and re-center your focus on God!

CNN ran a piece earlier this year - The Importance of a 'Stop Day' - where a doctor talked about the health benefits of taking a day off each week from all your work and worries. Turns out, God knew what he was doing when he told his followers to observe a Sabbath! (Who knew, right?)

Maybe it's hard in today's world to get a full day off every week, but if nothing else, I recommend planning some down time - building it into your schedule - because life is like a marathon, and if you try to run at full speed the whole time, you'll wear yourself out way too early! We have to pace ourselves!

Even though I didn't have time to sit and blog in the month of May, I did take some time to stop and smell the roses, and I took some pictures of some of my favorite things along the way.

Thank God for camera phones!

I hope I never get too busy to notice

the beauty of God's handiwork!

I'm blessed as I remember that all the busyness in my life is just a passing season, and that it has a reason. And I'm blessed because of all the flowers and beautiful colors I've seen along the way!

The view looking down the road when I went to check the mail one day... :-)

Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of each day, and for the opportunities you give me, both to rest from time to time and to recognize all the blessings you put in my life! Amen!

God's Sense of Humor

2013-04-30T18:52:00.000-04:00

The Bible talks about God laughing at the plans of the wicked. I wonder what his laughter sounds like! I also wonder what other things make him laugh...

Uncle Proboscis Vanover

When I was little, my mom told me you can see that God has a sense of humor because of some of the strange-looking animals he created. She used the platypus as an example, but I was reminded of this when I recently saw a closeup of a proboscis monkey in the opening shots of Life of Pi. I didn't know what a proboscis monkey was at the time, but I thought it was funny - it looks like it could be one of my relatives! - so I had to take a picture with my phone!

When I showed the image to friends in Lexington last weekend, I discovered I am NOT smarter than a kindergartener! My friends' son knew all about proboscis monkeys from something he had seen on TV!

"He who sits in the heavens laughs..."

- Psalm 2:4a

Besides funny-looking animals, another of my favorite examples of God's sense of humor is when Bill Cosby talks about having kids in his special, Bill Cosby, Himself.

"My wife and I were intellectuals...before we had children. We were very, very bright people. My wife graduated from the University of Maryland - Child Psychology major with a B+ average, which means that if you ask her a question about a child's behavior, she will give you at least an 85 answer - I, from Temple University - Physical Education major with Child Psychology minor, which means if you ask me a question about a child's behavior, I will tell you to tell the child to take a lap! Needless to say, we felt qualified to handle having children, and we planned to have children. We sat in the back seat of a car...and discussed it: 'Children - we want to have children and bring them up!' And we spoke to God about the children, and we were afraid to ask God for specific things. We felt that it might be too much. We said to God, 'Please, give us a healthy child,' and we left it at that...not knowing that God is a generous God, but also has a sense of humor, and that if you leave that much open for God, some wonderful jokes are going to come about!"

Then Cosby goes on to explain how all children have brain damage!

"But you laugh at them, O Lord..."

- Psalm 59:8a

So this week, they're having a "Share-a-thon" at Walk FM (another radio station in the same building as the one where I work), and today they ordered way too much pizza for their volunteers' lunch. They offered me some, and even offered to let me take some home tonight, since Amber hasn't been feeling well lately. Well, the pizza had already started turning cold before I got it, and this got me thinking about how re-heated pizza just never tastes as good as when it's fresh...

Usually, Amber just nukes it in the microwave, but I hate that because the crust gets all chewy... I've suggested heating it up in the oven, but she complains that it takes too long... I debated about what to do, but finally shrugged it off. "Oh well, I'll figure it out later," I said, and I decided to move on...

The next thing on my agenda for the day was to start preparing for this week's Wednesday night Bible study at church (while I waited for some files to import on the computer at work). This week, we're in Proverbs 17, so I opened my Bible to the right place and began reading at Verse 1, and suddenly, in my head, I heard God laughing at me...!

"Better a dry crust eaten in peace

than a house filled with feasting - and conflict!"

- Proverbs 17:1 (NLT)

I just had to laugh with God over that! OK, Lord! I give up!

You know, some Christians take everything so seriously, but our God is a God of joy! Loosen up! Laugh with God a little! It's good for you! (Don't believe me? Check this out: Laughter is the Best Medicine: The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter)

I am blessed because God has a sense of humor, and he delights in his people! (Zephaniah 3:17)

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!"

- Philippians 4:4

The Eagle in the Clouds

2013-04-24T08:18:00.000-04:00

Recently I mentioned the importance of looking for beauty in the world around you. I also mentioned a while back that - according to the doctors - my vision is so bad, I'm not supposed to be able to see shapes in clouds, but the doctors were wrong. I'm often amazed at the shapes and colors God paints in the sky!

I should preface the rest of this by admitting that Amber and I have struggled in several ways this past year. From financial hurdles and work-related stresses to questions about the direction of our future, we've both felt like we were seriously under attack from Satan. For a few months at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013, we even felt like we were having trouble clicking together. It's not that we thought our marriage was in jeopardy, but it seemed like whenever I was in a good mood, she had a terrible day, and when she was feeling better, I was frustrated. It was certainly a trying time, yet we continued to care for each other and pray together for the Lord's help.

Well, one day this past February, Amber and I were on our way somewhere when she commented how beautiful the colors were in the sunset. I hadn't noticed because the sun was setting on her side of the car, but when she pointed it out, I agreed it was very pretty. At the time, I was participating in a "photo-a-day" project with RethinkChurch via Twitter, and I wasn't sure if I'd want it for one of my entries or not, but I decided to take a picture of the sunset with my phone, just in case...

Interestingly, when I held the phone down to look at the image, I saw something there I hadn't seen originally. To my amazement, I saw a giant flying eagle in the clouds! I showed Amber, and she said she hadn't noticed it before, either, but I was right!

It's hard to explain, but seeing the eagle in the clouds really seems to be just what we needed!
It came across to us like a sign from God that everything would be alright!

Looking at the image, I was immediately reminded of a couple Bible verses:

"He will cover you with his feathers.

He will shelter you with his wings.

His faithful promises are your armor and protection."

- Psalm 91:4 (NLT)

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not faint."

- Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

Since then, I've also remembered the picture and been blessed as I've come across other verses that remind me of God's presence and power:

"The Lord was like an eagle

teaching its young to fly,

always ready to swoop down

and catch them on its back."

- Deuteronomy 32:11 (CEV)

"Do not fear, for I am with you,

do not be afraid, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."

- Isaiah 41:10

"For you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy."

- Psalm 63:7

Our problems didn't magically disappear after that day, but God has used the eagle in the clouds to remind Amber and me that he is with us, and we can trust him to help us. This encouragement has helped us to work past some of our problems, and it has strengthened our faith.

We are blessed because God has helped us and we know he will continue to help us!

I want to encourage you that you, too, can trust the Lord in the midst of whatever struggles you face. And I hope you will never forget to look for God wherever you are today!

Beauty of the Earth

2013-04-22T17:23:00.000-04:00

Last night, Amber and I finally got to watch Life of Pi. While I disagree with the theological message that there is no right or wrong religion, I did very much appreciate the beautiful images throughout the film. There were amazing pictures of a variety of animals - some I had never seen up close before - and from storms to sunsets, the movie was filled with the astounding beauty of the earth!

Looking across my yard this afternoon. :)

You don't have to go to the movies or get shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean to experience beauty, though. All you have to do is look for it! We get so busy sometimes, but how much time does it take to notice the flowers along your path or to notice a rainbow or soak in a sunset?

When I was in college, I took a couple trips to Northern Ireland, and I was amazed at how beautiful everything was there. Sadly, so many people I met there didn't even seem to notice their lovely surroundings because they were used to it and never really took the time to appreciate it. Then someone told me that after visiting the US, they had decided that Kentucky reminded them of Ireland more than any other state. I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

Ireland looks nothing like Kentucky, I thought, but they insisted that Kentucky had everything Ireland had - the green grass, the rolling hills, mountains, stone fences - even a castle!

"The only thing missing is the ocean!"

Well, I had my doubts until I came home, but back in Kentucky, I began noticing things almost as if for the first time. I was amazed at what a beautiful place this really is! I'd just never thought about it much because I was used to it.

I had done the same thing I accused the people there of doing!

Rhododendrons in Northern Ireland...

This really hit home when I was so excited one day to show my mom a picture I took of some flowers I saw in Ireland. I was so excited to show her, but when she saw it she just started laughing at me.

Me: "What's so funny?"

Mom: "Those are rhododendrons...

We have those out back!"

I couldn't believe it! I had gone thousands of miles away, and taken a picture of a flower we had in our own back yard!

So I make it a point to try to notice the beauty around me as often as I can - even if I can't see as well as others can - and I encourage you to look for the beauty that may be in YOUR own back yard that maybe you just haven't taken the time to notice lately!

Even if you don't live in Kentucky or Ireland, look for the beauty around you. God has given us a wonderful place to live, and it deserves to be appreciated and cared for! Doing so is even an act of worship!

For the beauty of the earth,

for the glory of the skies,

for the love which from our birth

over and around us lies;

Lord of all, to thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise!

- hymn by Folliot S. Pierpoint, 1864

Reach for the Skies!

2013-03-26T12:50:00.000-04:00

When we were kids, my brother and I used to play all kinds of games together...

"Reach for the skies!
Wait... Let me get my gun ready...
Okay, REACH FOR THE SKIES!"

Cowboys and Indians...

Karate Kid...

Batman and Robin...

G.I. Joe..

Every day was an adventure, it seemed, and of course, we always had to have the right costumes/accessories, no matter what the game was!

By the time my sister came along, we were a little older, and I loved her (still do!), but I didn't always know how to relate to her (still don't!). I think we were really starting to get along best about the time I went away for college, and that makes me sad. Every time I came home, she had grown so much, and I hate that I missed so much!

I have lots of fun and funny memories, though, about all of us! From playing baseball in the yard with my brother and the neighbor kids or clipping on plastic earrings to play "Pretty Pretty Princess" with my sister (I hope no pictures of that ever surface!), we played together and we laughed together, and it was truly great at times! But eventually we did what all kids do, and we grew up...

     We got other friends...
          We went our separate ways...
               Life kinda just... happened... as it generally tends to do!

Now, the three of us live hundreds of miles apart, and we still keep in touch, but not nearly as much as I'd like. It's as much my fault as anyone's, because I do what I imagine so many others do: I allow myself to get caught up in work and the things that are happening here, and I make up excuses - "I'm not sure if that's still the right address" or "I don't know what's the best time to call"... It's not that I don't care - I do! - but I often feel like I just don't know what to say, and I don't want to waste their time when their lives are busy, too.

Mandi has always been
an animal person! :-)

It's sad, and I hate the way things are sometimes. At the very least, though, I hope I've made it clear over the years that I love them both, and I'm still here if there's anything I can do to help them - even if I'm not always able to do as much for them as I'd like. I think about this kind of stuff more often than they probably know (or knew before they hopefully read this). I need to make more of a point of it from now on!

What got me thinking about it this time is the fact my brother is graduating from Officer Training School in the Air Force this week (CONGRATULATIONS!), and I wish I could've been there for his graduation, but I just wasn't able to go. I sent a card down with my dad for him, but I feel like nothing I could write in a card - and nothing I could write here - can really say everything I feel, how proud I am of his accomplishments and his courage!

For years, Jay has wanted to fly planes for a living. Me, I've been in a few - even taken them over the ocean before! - but being a pilot is definitely NOT my calling! I really prefer to keep my feet on the ground as much as possible! It's not that I'm afraid of heights so much as I'm just afraid of falling! But Jay is an adventurer, and I'm excited for him! I know it's taken him a long time to get where he is, and I know there's still a lot ahead before he gets to where he really wants to be. I'm proud of him for sticking to it, and I'm proud of him for taking the path of military service.

I'm really not a fan of fighting. I'm disheartened when so many people seem to be gung ho about going to war, because war leads to bitterness and injury and death and the need for more war. I do think there comes a time when you have to defend yourself or stand up for the rights of others, and sometimes I know war seems unavoidable, but I wish people spent more time fostering peace and less time drawing lines in the sand! At the same time, I'm extremely thankful for those who choose to put their lives on the line when the time comes. It takes a special kind of person to stand up and say, "No, I will not participate in this," but it takes another special kind of person to step up and say, "Yes, I will make this sacrifice with my life."

As I was reflecting on all this the other day, I had a wonderful thought...
My siblings and I shared so much in common when we were little, yet we are also very different from each other. We have different tastes, different personalities, different passions... Jay wants to be a pilot, Mandi's a pet groomer, and I'm a pastor... but in a way, we're all doing the same thing, or at least the things we do are about the same thing...

The military is about serving, caring for, and defending people when they're unable to take care of themselves, securing their safety as much as possible...
Pet grooming is about doing the same thing for animals - helping them in a way they could not help themselves, making sure they are cared for safely...
Pastoring, likewise, is about serving, caring, helping, defending and most of all trying to point souls to the safety of the Lord...

All of us (whether we always think of it this way or not) are honoring God by honoring his creation. And in that sense, what we do also bears the potential to bring each of us closer to God, if we'll let it! Our parents must've done something right to inspire us each to do what we do!

So I choose today to try to make a point of calling and writing more often. I want to be sure to remind them how much I love and appreciate them, just in case they've forgotten. And I want to make sure we continue to create fun, funny, happy memories whenever we have the opportunity so we can look back and smile together later on, no matter how near or far apart our lives may end up!

Today, I am blessed by the memories I have with my family, by the good things I still see in them both, by the anticipation of more good times to come, and by the thought that (in a plane or on the ground) we each have the chance to use what we do to reach for the skies and get a little closer to Heaven!

Now I think I've got some calls/texts to make...

The Final Pope?

2013-03-13T14:10:00.000-04:00

Generally, I prefer not to talk much about my thoughts on End Times stuff or the Catholic Church, but I decided to make an exception and talk about both at the same time today!

Black smoke - try again.
White smoke - a new pope is elected.
For more info, read this.

After a recent church service, someone asked for my thoughts on the upcoming selection of the new pope. To be honest, I hadn't given it much thought. Not being Catholic, why should I? Then he asked what I thought of St. Malachy's prophecy concerning "Peter the Roman", but I had to admit I had no idea what he was talking about. I listened as he briefly explained what he understood about these things, offered a few thoughts, and decided to do a little research when I got home.

St. Malachy was the Archbishop of Armagh (Ireland) back in the 12th century, and the legend says that in 1139 AD, he saw a vision predicting who every pope would be from then until the Apocalypse. His "Prophecy of the Popes" doesn't give names or dates; instead it gives a cryptic phrase in Latin to describe each pope - 112 in all, starting with Pope Celestine II. Supposedly, for several of these, their descriptions have been surprisingly accurate!

The reason this was brought to my attention was because - did you guess it? - Pope Benedict XVI was Pope #111 since Malachy's day, which means if the prophecy can be trusted, the new pope - whomever he may be - will be the last pope before Jesus returns! If that's not exciting enough, apparently many believe this last pope (referred to in Malachy's prophecy as "Peter the Roman") will also be the second beast - the false prophet in Revelation 13 - who rises up and performs miracles in order to cause everyone to worship a false religion and take the mark of the beast!

Can this be true?!

Well, this much appears to be true:

There IS a list of Latin phrases which are said by some to predict 112 popes.
The list IS popularly attributed to St. Malachy, a 12th century Archbishop of Armagh.
This "Prophecy of the Popes" DID accurately describe several popes over the years.
Pope Benedict XVI WAS Pope #111 since the prophecy began, and there DOES seem to be a connection between him and the Latin motto assigned to him.
The last pope on the list IS referred to as "Petrus Romanus" ("Peter the Roman"), and the prophecy DOES end with an apparent reference to Judgement Day and the word "Finis" ("The End").

If the prophecy is real and the new pope really is the false prophet of Revelation 13, that really makes things interesting. Because of the heavy use of symbolism, there are a million different ways people have tried to interpret apocalyptic literature, but the thought that we might already be in the midst of the Great Tribulation, or that it's about to begin, could be terrifying to a lot of people!

...BUT...

(and that's a BIG but!)

There are a few reasons why you may not buy everything being said about the next pope.

St. Bernard never said a word
about St. Malachy's prophecy!

St. Malachy's list was extremely accurate UNTIL the year 1590. After that, connections to reality are more vague and sometimes extremely difficult to make. Maybe that makes sense when you realize that the list was never published during Malachy's lifetime. Malachy's biographer, St. Bernard of Clairvaux (who knew him personally) never mentioned it. And in fact, there's no known record anywhere that mentions the prophecy before it was "discovered" some 450 years later by a monk named Arnold de Wion in 1590 and finally published in 1595!

It's also worth noting that the prophecy doesn't actually say anything about the last pope being the false prophet of Revelation. Specifically, this is what it says about the last pope:

"In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit.
Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The End."

As you can see, all it really says about Peter the Roman is that he will be the leader during a time of many trials (which admittedly still could refer to Revelation), and he's the last pope before Rome (or the Vatican/papacy?) is destroyed and Judgment day comes. It never says anything about him leading the people to worship the other beast or anything like that. I'm not sure where this "evil pope" image comes from unless it's just a general distrust of the papacy...

Besides all that, did you see that there's a period at the end of the first line I quoted? I didn't make a typo. Many readers claim the punctuation at the end of that line means it may refer to another pope between #111 and Peter the Roman. In other words, if it turns out the world doesn't end when the next pope is in power, those who believe in the prophecy have at least one more chance to get it right! All that really has to be true for them to continue to believe is that Catholics should be persecuted during his watch - not a stretch, since Christianity as a whole has been under strong persecution around the world throughout the last century!

Is there anything to

the Prophecy of the Popes?

Could Cardinal Peter Turkson be
"Peter the Roman"?!

I doubt it. There seems to be enough evidence against it for me. I will say I'll think twice about it if Cardinal Peter Turkson is ever elected pope. After all, his name is Peter, and even though he's from Ghana, I believe he now resides in Rome. He was also the head of a group in the Catholic Church that suggested in 2011 that we ought to have one world government and one currency. It just sounds a little too Revelation-y to me!

Turkson was touted for a while as a possible contender, but I understand he's made a few gaffes recently that make him less likely to get the job - but you never know!

Even if Turkson IS elected pope, however - or even if someone else is elected who seems to have an obvious connection to the title "Peter the Roman" - I don't think we should worry too much about it. Instead, we should focus on what's really important...

What's really important?

My answer now is basically the same response I gave at the end of that first conversation, before I came home and did all this research...

The messages in the Bible about End Times are cryptic on purpose. We're not supposed to know every detail of what's gonna happen. Jesus lists a few signs that should remind us the end is near (see Matthew 24), but over and over he stresses that no one will be able to predict it. Instead, Jesus says the end will come when we're not looking for it!

"Therefore you also must be ready,

for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

- Matthew 24:44

The reality is that the end could come at any time - the end of the world, or at least the end of your life! - and today is the day to prepare. I'm not talking so much about laying up supplies in case the "mark of the beast" is instituted tomorrow and you can't buy/sell anything without it. I'm talking about making sure everything is right between you and God - that you've accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior! - because whether it's tonight or years from now, there is a Day of Judgment coming! (Revelation 20:11-15)

The point of End Time prophecies in the Bible is to encourage us to make things right with God today - to live now as if he's coming back any minute! - and to remind us that things will get worse before they get better. But even when things seem to be as bad as they can possibly get, those who serve the Lord should never lose hope, because we know that one day, he WILL make things right!

"Do not fear what you are about to suffer...

Be faithful until death,

and I will give you the crown of life."

- Revelation 2:10

I am blessed because I've read the book, and even though I don't always understand every bit of it, I know how the story ends: God wins!

Lord, help me to be faithful to you and to trust you...

...no matter how things may appear!

Godly Correction

2013-03-13T14:02:00.000-04:00

When was the last time you said something and wished you could take it back? Whether you intentionally lied or said something hurtful, or whether you were simply misunderstood, I think we've all been there more often than we'd like to admit!

Yesterday afternoon, I received an e-mail with the text of a letter from Bishop Lindsey Davis (of the UMC - not a Catholic bishop) calling on Methodists to pray for our Catholic neighbors as the conclave gathers in Rome to elect a new pope. (To read the bishop's letter, CLICK HERE.)

As I read this letter, I was reminded of the way I began and ended my post yesterday morning about the Prophecy of the Popes, and I decided it was important to be clear about some things.

Yesterday, I began by saying:

"After a recent church service, someone asked for my thoughts on the upcoming selection of the new pope. To be honest, I hadn't given it much thought. Not being Catholic, why should I?"

Looking back, it struck me that some readers might get the wrong idea. I was not trying to say it doesn't matter who the next pope is. What I meant is that (like many people) I really don't know much about those who may be under consideration, and I haven't spent much time trying to decide which ones I think would be a good choice. As a non-Catholic (who has no vote!), I haven't felt compelled to keep up with/dig into/spend much time on those things.

But the bishop's letter reminds me that just because we Protestants don't accept the authority of the papacy, that doesn't mean it doesn't matter! The pope is still a symbol of Christianity to the world, and he has an enormous amount of influence to shape the direction of the Catholic Church and the way Christians in general are perceived by the world. Non-Christians don't always understand the differences between churches, denominations, etc., and many may not understand that the pope doesn't speaks for us all!

It's important, then, for all of us to pray, as the bishop said, "that those 115 Cardinals will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit" - that the leader they choose will "serve like Jesus", with the same level of humility and care about shepherding people according to the Word of God.

Likewise, when I said near the end of yesterday's post that...

"I don't think we should worry too much about it. Instead we should focus on what's really important..."

...I hope everyone understood that I mean we shouldn't worry too much about doomsday prophecies. When the end comes, it won't matter so much that we understood this or that prophecy - what will matter is whether or not we served Christ and lived as he taught!

Sometimes we say things the wrong way. Other times we say things that are just wrong. I hope if someone misunderstood me before, my explanation today clears it up. But I also hope if I say something wrong, people will call me on it and help me to grow! Too often, we're quick to get offended when someone points out our mistakes, but the Bible is blunt in telling us it's better to accept correction and learn from it than to continue foolishly with what was wrong.

"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but those who hate to be rebuked are stupid."
- Proverbs 12:1

It's important to be able to admit you don't always have all the answers, and at times, that can be a real struggle! But by really listening to what others have to say, you never know, but you might learn something... or you might actually teach the other person something... or you might learn to communicate better... or you might even learn that you both were wrong, and be able to find a better way forward!

I am blessed because even when I don't get things perfect, God's grace is always there! He uses people, conscience and his Word to correct me, to point out mistakes so I can learn from them. And even when I STILL don't get it right, he offers forgiveness through the blood of Jesus!

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."

- 1 John 2:1-2

I hope you'll join me in praying for the cardinals in conclave and for the new pope - that they will make godly decisions and lead people in a way that honors the Lord - and in praying that we all will be open to it when God wants to correct us!

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

2013-02-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood
A beautiful day for a neighbor...
Would you be mine?"

For years as a kid, I remember turning on the local PBS affiliate, and there were a few shows I always liked to watch: Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street... and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. My favorite at the time was probably Sesame Street, but I loved all three. Eventually, of course, I grew up and began to feel like I grew out of those shows, and I haven't watched any of them in ages. But looking back, I think I have more happy memories of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood than any of the others.

I remember a few of the educational segments, I remember the trolley ride into the "Neighborhood of Make-Believe", and some of the fun characters there. I remember the sweaters, feeding the fish, and fun songs like "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" and "It's Such a Good Feeling". But most of all, I remember how Mr. Rogers seemed to genuinely care about the children watching his show. He spoke in a way that would be easily understood - in a calm, clear tone. He talked about things that were important to us as kids - about hopes and fears of all kinds. And his messages were always reassuring and uplifting.

"You are special."

"You are loved."

"I like you, and I hope you like you, too!"

Sadly, Mr. Rogers left us 10 years ago today. I have a small book called, "The World according to Mister Rogers", which is a collection of quotes published the year he passed away. I'd like to share just a few of my favorite quotes with you.

"It always helps to have people we love beside us when we have to do difficult things in life."

"The gifts we treasure most over the years are often small and simple. In easy times and in tough times, what seems to matter most is the way we show those nearest us that we've been listening to their needs, to their joys, and to their challenges."

"The real issue in life is not how many blessings we have, but what we do with our blessings. Some people have many blessings and hoard them. Some have few and give everything away."

"In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts, and be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers."

"Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle."

"Part of the problem with the word 'disabilities' is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted. But what of people who can't feel? Or talk about their feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways? What of people who aren't able to form close and strong relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in disappointment and bitterness and find in life no joy, no love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities."

"The older I get, the more I seem to be able to appreciate my 'neighbor' (whomever I happen to be with at the moment). Oh, sure, I've always tried to love my neighbor as myself; however, the more experiences I've had, the more chances I've had to see the uniqueness of each person...as well as each tree, and plant, and shell, and cloud...the more I find myself delighting every day in the lavish gifts of God, whom I've come to believe is the greatest appreciator of all."

"The more I think about it, the more I wonder if God and neighbor are somehow One. 'Loving God, Loving neighbor' - the same thing? For me, coming to recognize that God loves every neighbor is the ultimate appreciation!"

* * *

If you didn't know, in 1963, Mr. Rogers was ordained as a Presbyterian minister, and he said he saw his show as an extension of his calling. He explains:

"When I was ordained, it was for a special ministry, that of serving children and families through television. I consider that what I do through Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is my ministry. A ministry doesn't have to be only through a church, or even through an ordination. And I think we all can minister to others in this world by being compassionate and caring. I hope you will feel good enough about yourselves that you will want to minister to others, and that you will find your own unique ways to do that."

* * *

Mister Rogers visiting children at Memorial Home for Crippled Children
in Pittsburgh, PA in 1978 - photo by Jim Judkis for People magazine

From everything I've ever seen or heard about him, Mr. Rogers was a man who genuinely cared about people and wanted us to genuinely care for one another. He was, in many ways, an embodiment of the spirit of the Gospel, even though I don't remember hearing him talk about Jesus on TV one time. I don't know if that was his choice or if it was forced by someone else, but I am blessed to remember the way Mr. Rogers lived out his faith by reaching out to as many people as he could.

Today, I still hear a little bit of Mr. Rogers in my head whenever I hear the VeggieTales characters sing "Love Your Neighbor" or conclude a program by saying, "Remember, God made you special, and he loves you very much!"

May we each find our own route to ministry, and may we reach out with that same spirit of love today, as we share the invitation with everyone we meet...

Please, won't you be... my neighbor?

God's Valentine

2013-02-14T13:54:00.001-05:00

I thought it was interesting that Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day are back to back this year.

Ash Wednesday, of course, marks more than just foreheads - it marks the beginning of Lent, which is the 40-day period (minus Sundays) that leads up to Easter. It's a time to consider our own mortality, and to focus on repentance and spiritual discipline as we meditate on the truth that Jesus died to save us from our sins and rose from the dead to offer us the gift of eternal life. Many people practice fasting or other forms of self-denial during this season as a way of honoring Christ's sacrifice and remembering that the Gospel message ought to change every part of our lives. The tradition dates back to the early church.

While St. Valentine's Day has become a day for couples to celebrate their love, this day also has roots in the early church. Originally, it was a day to remember a couple men who were so transformed by the Gospel that they were eventually martyred for their faith. People didn't start sending flowers and cards on this day until sometime in the Middle Ages.

Because these two holidays are so close together this year, I've been meditating on the fact that what Jesus endured on the cross was the ultimate example of God's love.

"God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins." - 1 John 4:9-10

The whole Bible is one big love story. It's the story of a God who loves his creation - he made us specifically for love! - but people turned their back on his love. Still, God loves us so much, he resolved never to give up on us. Over and over, he reaches out, trying to show us what love is, trying to welcome us back to a loving relationship.

The cross was God's answer. Since we were all lost in sin, and sin leads to death (Romans 3:23; 6:23), he would die in our place - paying the full price! - to show us the depth of his love...


A card I shared at church this week - Notice "VALENTINE" spelled vertically in red!

    ...even though we don't deserve it and could never repay him...

    ...even though we might never fully grasp just how selfish and awful we've been...

    ...even though we might still somehow decide to reject him...

STILL, he loves us, and Jesus died so that grace, mercy and forgiveness would be there before we looked for them, so we could be welcomed back the second we turn to him!

We were so lost without him...

"But God proves his love for us

in that while we still were sinners

Christ died for us."

- Romans 5:8

The Bible is the story of God's love.

Today, I am blessed as I consider that what Jesus did on the cross - in a sense - was God's Valentine to us.

I love this song by Third Day that speaks from Jesus' perspective to us:

God's love didn't come cheap or easy. He paid the ultimate price to be with us! But his offer doesn't cost a thing. All you have to do is ask. All you have to do is receive.

I hope you will join me in praying that - throughout this season of Lent and always - we can learn more to offer grace, mercy, forgiveness and love to others just as freely as it was offered to us! May we be especially motivated to share the Good News about what Jesus has done, so that others can accept his Valentine, as well!

And I pray that if you're reading this, and you've never received Jesus' gift for yourself or it's been a while since you spent time with the Lord, you'll open your heart to him now. Seek out a pastor or another Christian who can answer any questions you have and pray with you today!

As one lady at my church loves to say all the time:

Remember,

God loves you...

...and so do I!

Unexpected Crosses

2013-02-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

Recently, I talked about the controversy in Jackson, OH, over the display of a portrait of Jesus in a middle school. This is only one in a long list of cases where groups have been trying for some time to remove Christian symbols from public spaces. At the end of my comments on the Jackson situation, though, I talked about the blessing of remembering that - even if all our symbols were somehow taken away - no one can ever take Christ away!

As the hymn says... "He lives within my heart!"

That said, I don't believe there will ever come a time when - just as I did here with the examples of sunlight and snowflakes, or as I do on my other blog with popular music, movies and TV - a discerning Christian won't be able to see symbols of God's love wherever he goes.

"For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities

- his eternal power and divine nature -

have been clearly seen,

being understood from what has been made,

so that men are without excuse."

- Romans 1:20 (NIV)

If you expect it and look for it, God will reveal himself even in some of the most unexpected places. Here are four places where I've seen the cross on public display, and neither the ACLU nor anyone else can do anything about it!

1. Doors

In the Old Testament, God told the Israelites to put Scriptures on doorposts and gates so they would remember to honor the Lord whenever they went out or came in. Similarly, when I notice a cross on a door, I'm reminded that God is everywhere, he sees everything, and the grace of Jesus is meant for everyone. It also brings to mind the words of Jesus in John 10:9, where he says,

"I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved,

and will come in and go out and find pasture."

And I think of John 14:6, where Jesus says,

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me."

God should be honored everywhere you go, and you should share the Good News - THAT JESUS DIED TO SAVE SINNERS! - with everyone, wherever the opportunity arises!

2. Telephone Poles

A cross on a telephone pole doesn't just remind me again of the need to communicate the Gospel to others. It also dials up images of God using the Bible, the Holy Spirit and other means to reach out and touch us, to call us into a relationship and a life of holiness. And it reminds me that we're all connected, and God expects us to pass on messages of love instead of hatred (1 John 4:20).

The biggest thing to me about that tall cross, though, is how it calls attention to the blessing of being able to converse with the Almighty in prayer (Hebrews 10:19-22). With God, there's no such thing as "call waiting" - I can get on the line with him any time I like - even if I run out of cell phone minutes!

And thinking of that calls to mind how Jesus taught his disciples to pray in Matthew 6; how he prayed for all believers in John 17; and how, after his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus went to heaven, where he continues to pray for us.

"Christ Jesus, who died

- more than that, who was raised to life -

is at the right hand of God

and is also interceding for us."

- Romans 8:34b (NIV)

3. Tow Trucks

This one really surprised me when I first noticed it, but it got me thinking. When you're caught doing something you shouldn't, a tow truck may not be a very welcome sight, because it condemns your car to the impound lot. But when you get stuck or broken down and call for help, it can be your salvation!

(See Romans 6:23 and 1 John 1:8-9)

4. Windows

If I'm out somewhere and notice that a window has a cross in it, I observe that God is watching over me. I can trust him because I know he loves me, and I know he will take care of me!

The idea of looking through a window with a cross in it makes me think of the responsibility to look at others "through the eyes of God" - with love and forgiveness. As we have received these from the Lord, so we must offer them to those around us - especially if we think they don't deserve it! - because we never deserved what Jesus did for us ! (1 John 4:9-11; Matthew 18:21-35)

The cross in the window also encourages me to continue to view the world through "holy eyes" by looking for God everywhere. Whether he reveals himself through nature, through other people, through popular media, through the Bible, prayer, a still small voice or even just random objects - like a door, a telephone pole, a tow truck or a window! - God is constantly reaching out, and you can see him if you try!

"When you search for me,

you will find me;

if you seek me with all your heart..."

- Jeremiah 29:13

I always feel blessed whenever I see a sign of God and his love.

When was the last time you noticed an unexpected cross or another symbol of God's love?
Feel free to share your experience in the comments section.

If you look at the world through "holy eyes"...

...you might just see a blessing you never expected!

Snowflakes

2013-02-01T13:58:00.000-05:00

It snowed at our house today.

I hate having to go out in it, but I love to sit and look at it from a nice warm place in the house!

Have you ever looked closely at a snowflake?

No two (paper) snowflakes are alike!

From a distance, they all look the same - just a bunch of little white dots - but up close, a snowflake can be an interesting thing to see. I had a snowflake land on my nose one time, and I just kinda stood there and stared at it, and it was neat to see how there seemed to be so much detail in such a tiny thing!

I would have taken my snowflake home and kept it, but - sadly - when I tried to pick it up, I crushed it, and it melted right on my nose. A single snowflake by itself is a delicate thing... but look outside when it's been snowing, and see what happens when they all stick together!

Similarly, there are a lot of Christians in this world, and from a distance, maybe we all look alike, but when you get up close, there can be some big differences from person to person! But I'm not just talking about differences in physical appearance or what denomination you belong to...

I'm talking about SPIRITUAL GIFTS!

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit gives every baptized believer certain spiritual gifts. They're more than just talents. They're more than just having one personality type or another. Spiritual gifts are special ways that God touches our lives and adds or changes something to make us more useful for the Kingdom!

For instance, it's one thing to have a talent for music. With a talent, maybe there's a certain amount of natural ability you're born with, and you cultivate that until you get better and better, and it can be a nice thing. But if someone has a spiritual gift for music, that's something more. That person will be able to understand how to use their ability in the best way possible in order to glorify God.

Their music can touch the soul!

It can communicate the Gospel in a way words and notes alone don't explain!

It can lead people to a deeper understanding of the Gospel
and speak encouragement to the body of believers at the same time!

Our spiritual gifts are precious, and they make us into something special. They mold us and shape us so that, like a snowflake, each of us has a unique and delicate design!

And just as no two snowflakes are alike, so it is with us. No two Christians will be given exactly the same set of gifts, circumstances and tasks as another. But that doesn't mean any of us is better than the other or that any of us has a reason to feel inferior to others. Your design and mine may not be the same, but we are both snowflakes, beautiful in the eyes of our Creator!

If you ever feel superior to someone else, just remember: whatever you have came from God, not yourself, for a reason!

And if you ever begin to feel small and insignificant, just remember: whatever you have came from God, for a reason!

God loves you so much, he looked ahead and saw what kinds of things you would face, and he knew what you would need, and he has provided... and he WILL provide... and you play a role in God's Master Plan, as much as anyone else!

"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord,

plans for your welfare and not for harm,

to give you a future with hope."

- Jeremiah 29:11

God has empowered us in so many ways, but a snowflake by itself is a fragile thing. It needs other snowflakes around to help it out. And in the same way, we need each other. The Church exists to worship Christ, but it also exists so we can encourage and spur one another on to love and good deeds... so we can be built up in our faith... so we can pray for each other... so we can help one another to be effective in ministry...

Everyone expects the pastor to do the work of the Church...

but the pastor is not the Church...

the PEOPLE are the Church!

Each of us, with our individual gifts - we all have something valuable to contribute, and every one of us is essential, because God has equipped each of us to be a small part of his bigger body.

There’s no room for selfish pride, and there’s no call to feel inadequate. But as we work together for the common cause of Christ, we each have an important role to play!

It's important to recognize the differences in our gifts - how we're each as unique as snowflakes - but if we stick together, then we can do...

what the snowflakes do...

...and together we can brighten the landscape,

as we reflect the light of the Lord for all to see!

The view from my driveway at 7:30 this morning!

Today, I give thanks for spiritual gifts,

for being a part of the body of Christ,

and for all the beauty of God's creation!

CLICK HERE for more information about Spiritual Gifts, or to try to figure out what yours may be!

God's Presence

2013-01-25T11:03:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, when things are going wrong, it can be tempting to believe you're all alone in your problems. It's easy sometimes to feel like your back is up against the wall, and it's just you against the world...

But that's not true!

This past Sunday, at the little country church where I pastor, our attendance was particularly low because a lot of our folks were out sick. I know that's a reminder that many people need our prayers, but some of those who showed up seemed to almost take it personally that others were out. On one hand, they cared about their friends, but at the same time, they expressed the notion that if people really wanted to be there, they'd be there. It reminded me of the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19, where he lamented, "I alone am left!"

But in the middle of the service, my wife chimed in with this beautiful observation, and it seemed to change everything!

The weather was bitter cold outside, and it had been a little cloudy on the way in to church that morning. I wonder how much that contributed to the way people were feeling.

The Sunday School lesson was good and upbeat, and we started the worship service off with hymns of praise, as usual. But when it came time to share prayer requests, even though there were only a few of us, the list of concerns seemed particularly long - especially next to the list of praises, though everyone in the congregation shared multiple praises!

We bowed our heads in prayer, thanking God for the blessings we had seen and turning over our petitions. We prayed for the sick, and for those who were going through hard times, and we prayed that God would use us to be the answer to others' prayers. We prayed for opportunities to share the Gospel, and for people to have open hearts to that message. And among other things, we asked God to let his Spirit fill our church in such a way that people who met us or passed us would be drawn to the light that shines in us. Let it shine in us!

After the Lord's Prayer, when everyone had returned to their seats, that's when Amber spoke up.

"I just have to share this!" she said.

"I don't know how to even say this, but...

The way the sunlight is coming in through the windows...

It really speaks to me right now...

I just feel like... I can FEEL the Holy Spirit...

Like the sunlight is the Holy Spirit shining in
to let us know that God is with us, and he hears us, and...

I don't know...

Does anyone else see what I see?
Do you feel what I feel?"

Everyone enthusiastically agreed, and the bright light continued to bless us throughout the service. In fact, here's a picture I took on my phone after most everyone had left:

All too often, as I said before, it can be tempting to believe we're alone in our sorrows.

If you get sick and nobody calls, you can start to believe nobody cares.
When there's a conflict with someone at work/school, you may think you have to handle it by yourself.
When bills are due and you don't know how you'll have enough money...
When relationships don't work out and someone leaves...
When someone close to you passes away...

But the Good News is that we don't have to be alone - we are NOT alone! We have each other, sure - that's one great thing about family and friends, and it's one of the purposes of the church (Hebrews 10:24-25) - but more than that, we have the promise of God's presence!

Jesus came to earth to be Emmanuel - "God With Us" - and he promised that when he left, the Holy Spirit would come to be with us, to live in the heart of every believer! (see John 14)

One of my favorite passages in the whole Bible is Psalm 139, where David is talking about the depth of God's love. He talks about how God knows him inside out - God notices everything he does or says or even thinks - and then David talks about God's presence:

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you."
            - Psalm 139:7-12 (NIV)

It's comforting to know that God is there when we're worshiping at church - that's one thing - but it's another thing entirely to realize that God is with us no matter where we go - whether we sense it or not - no matter what we do, no matter what happens to us or what treacherous path we walk down. God is with us every step of the way!

His light is constantly reaching out to us...

...reaching into the darkness to be with us!

When we realize that, how can we worry?

How can we be afraid?

How can we feel ANYTHING except JOY

at the knowledge that we are truly blessed?!

Being Born

2013-01-22T06:30:00.001-05:00

40 years ago today, the Supreme Court handed down their decision in Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion, and our nation has been divided about it ever since. It's still a hot-button issue that gets a lot of people fired up both in support and in opposition - especially whenever an election is coming up.

Some people see a legal abortion as a safe alternative for a woman in the case of an unplanned pregnancy, maybe particularly if the timing interrupts other important plans. Others would say that a new human life is more important than convenience.

Some would say an abortion is a humane choice when it's known that a child will have disabilities. Others would say that everyone deserves a chance.

Some would say it's unfair to expect a woman to raise a child born as the result of rape or incest. Others would say it's unfair to punish the child for something that wasn't his/her fault, either.

Some argue that the mother's life should be more important than the child's. Others argue that the child's life should be more important than the mother's.

Some say a woman should have the right to choose what to do with her body, regardless of the circumstances. Others say the child should have the right to life regardless of the circumstances. Still others say the circumstances make all the difference. Data from The Pew Forum shows that even now - all these years later - only just over half of Americans think that abortion should be legal in most cases.

Without getting too deep into it, I just want to say...

I'm happy to be alive!!!

According to The Guttmacher Institute, around the time I was born, the rate of abortions per year was at its peak. In the early '80s, 29.3 out of every 1,000 pregnancies in the U.S. ended in abortion (down to 19.6 in 2008). What's truly devastating is to realize that so far, there have been around 54 million legal abortions in the U.S. in the past 40 years! Being alive is a blessing!

I was an early reader... ;-)

My parents had no idea I'd be visually impaired until after I was born, but with the advances of modern technology, it scares me to think how many parents might find out their child is going to have some kind of deformity, and they might decide based on that info alone not to have the child.

Maybe they think it'll be too much work.

Maybe they're afraid they won't have the resources or the skills to handle a child with special needs.

Or they think they'll be doing the child a favor by not letting them live with the pain of being different.

Maybe they think it'll just be too painful to watch their child struggle - especially, perhaps, if there's reason to believe the he/she won't live very long.

I know life's not always a bed of roses, and I wonder how many times my parents may have felt like the burden of raising a child with special needs was just too heavy to bear. But by the grace of God, they did the best they could (or at least, that's what my mom tells my wife!), and I strive every day to be living proof that different does not equal disabled!

I firmly believe that even in the worst cases, those who find the strength to honor life will find blessings that make it worth the pain! But I don't presume to have all the answers.

To someone who might actually be considering having an abortion, I just want to encourage you that no matter what your reason is, you should remember: we only have a limited view from where we are. Sometimes things that seem bad can turn out better than we expect. Sometimes the reality of whether or not you can handle something is all about how you look at it - the right perspective is essential. And just because you decide you really can't keep a baby, that doesn't mean someone else wouldn't love to have it!

Sometimes, giving a child up for adoption

can be the most loving option of all!

Pray about it, talk to your doctor and your family, talk to a pastor. When you're dealing with another person's life, it's never a light thing. I pray that you make the right decision, and that you have peace.

To the rest of us... Sometimes I think we have this stereotype that the only women who get abortions are careless people who go out and sleep around all the time without thinking of the consequences, and then they just use abortion as an easy way out when they get themselves in a predicament. But I have to believe that for a lot of women, the decision of what to do is a complex and agonizing thing, and there are a whole host of reasons why they end up making the choices they make - some I'm sure I haven't even thought of! It can't be easy! And what they need most of all is to be loved, no matter what!

It may be easy also for Pro-Life folks to stereotype Pro-Choicers as evil feminist baby-haters, or for Pro-Choice advocates to see Pro-Lifers as hateful, uncaring woman-haters. But I pray we can all understand that this is a complex issue, and I hope we can remember to respond to each other with grace and mercy and love.