I was invited to participate in the Good Friday Together event held at the First Niagara Center. (On Good Friday) Overwhelmed by the invite and the verse I was given to share…I prayed a lot. Actually, I freaked out and prayed a ton.

It was an extraordinary event.

Unforgettable!

To see how God the Father packed that arena for the praise and glory of His Son – well, words fall short. It was like a glimpse of what worship in heaven might be like – every tribe, tongue and nation – hearts full being poured out in uninhibited worship for the King. Absolutely unforgettable. His presence was tangible. His people – ONE in Him and for Him.

No one wanted to leave. We didn’t want it to end. And then we remember that it doesn’t have to end – because – EASTER – and the joy and New Life from that moment allows for life and outrageous joy now.

I was led to write what I eventually shared at the event. We were only given 5 minutes and 45 seconds to get it done. Well…needless to say I had to cut back a lot. So…I thought I might share the entire message.

Have a blessed EASTER! He’s Alive!

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)

This tender yet imposing moment that became the third saying of Christ from the cross, is introduced in sheer contrast to what’s being described beforehand ─ the callous cruelty of the Roman soldiers as they arrogantly divvy up and gamble for Jesus’ clothing.

In this moment I can’t help but think of Mary ─ especially as a mother.

Her anguish.

Her deep pain

And the helplessness of a mother watching the unthinkable, watching…

Her son die.

I can only imagine how she felt, what she was thinking…

Maybe she reflected upon the moment when everything changed ─ when she was a young, virgin pledged to be married to Joseph…

That moment when the angel Gabriel appeared to her, announcing to her the unthinkable…

That the Holy Spirit would come upon her and create life in her.

That she would give birth to the very Son of God, the SON of GOD…

That she would name Him Jesus.

Or maybe she pondered His humble birth in that curious, unassuming stable ─ greeted not by adoration and pomp but… Instead, the King was met on earth by the animal kingdom; praised by bleating sheep, neighing horses and mooing  cows.

How she wished she could go back in time. Back to that moment when clay covered glory, When God took on flesh and became a helpless baby boy ─ her baby boy with tiny hands that couldn’t even reach for her. Holy hands that in that moment were stretched out on a cross to save her…

To save all of us.

And as blood dripped from those hands, maybe she was struck afresh remembering the blessing and the prophecy ─ the words spoken by Simeon about the child during his dedication in the temple . “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Mary…

We don’t know what she pondered in those moments as her son hung, suspended between heaven and earth.

Was she was ready and willing to face the Roman guards and take her beloved son down off that cross?

Did she want to get in the faces of those cold-hearted hypocrites hurling insults at her son when just days before they were praising His name and enjoying the leftovers from his many miracles?

We don’t know what she was feeling, thinking, or what she said.

Because

She was…

Silent.

And maybe she was silent because she was interceding, praying for the miracle of miracles… That just maybe the Father, the One who chose her to be the Son’s mother,  just maybe…

He might take this cup from her son, …from His son. Maybe He would take the cup from her.

Like Mary, we come to where our deepest need and heartbreak take us,…to the foot of the cross. And we can’t help but feel the profound and extraordinary in this moment .

Mary’s silence.

Maybe we have no record of what she said because it wasn’t about what she said or did in this moment.

Because in this moment, as in every other moment, including right now.

It’s not about Mary, it’s not about you, and it’s not about me.

It’s about Jesus.

She’s silent…

So that we will hear HIM.

So that we take our eyes off of her, off of ourselves and the multitude of reasons for our coming to the foot of the cross.   So we take our eyes off of all these things and we look at Him.

Because when we fix our gaze toward heaven, and look up from the ashes of our despair…

When we look up…We see Him.

King of kings.

Lord of lords.

The Alpha and the Omega ─ Beginning and the End of all things.

Friend of Sinners

Redeemer

Provider

Lover of Souls

Prince of Peace

Judge.

Ruler of Nations

Creator and Keeper of all.

Humanity’s greatest need, desire, and satisfaction.

Emmanuel.

Savior.

The One and Only Son.

We look up…

 And we see Him.

Covered in blood that flows freely with life for the lost and hopeless.

He breathes the air of sin all around Him and opens His mouth and…

Words come forth from Holiness and…

He speaks…

And we hear Him.

Words from the One who is Life break through the

Anguish,

Shock,

And grief

Of the moment.

Words from the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us.

Words of love, devotion, care, and compassion.

Words to a mother and beloved disciple.

Words for you and for me.

Even as He is dying,

Crushed, by bearing the wrath of God

Paying, the penalty for humanity’s sin,

Gasping, for air to fill his lungs

As His broken heart pours every ounce of its strength into breaking the chains of sin that bound us…

While He is dying…

He gives.

He looks down.

He sees us.

And He gives…All He came to give…all of Himself.

 Jesus reaches down into our pain and gives His life and love.

With more

Of Himself.

He keeps on Giving.

He’s being poured out for His own.

The ones He came for. Prayed for.

He’s there giving all of Himself for His mother and His best friend.

He’s giving it all for you and for me.

He’s providing for His mom, taking care of tomorrows needs ─ today.

Making a way through every circumstance so that we can know…that

He is the God of your every need.

He’s living beyond himself, beyond His circumstances.

He sees your great need and meets it completely and perfectly in Himself.

Your greatest need and mine will always be

…JESUS.

They don’t belong to me.

I don’t own them.

They were His long before I even knew them and they’re still His.

Maybe it’s because they’re flesh of my flesh that I feel this way.

Like I have some sort of say in how their lives should be – a claim to what kind of future they will have and what that journey should look like every step of the way – because…

I’m their mom.

They were formed in my womb.

I’ve literally poured out my life for them.

If you’re a mother, you know what I’m talking about.

The cry you recognize in a room filled with infants.

The way they smell.

That birthmark placed perfectly on her right hip.

The sleepless nights. The countless tears. The fear.

The “what if’s”.

The disciplining when it would’ve been so much easier to let it slide.

The interrupted intimate moment with the husband because the sweet one can’t sleep and needs to crawl into bed with you.

The issues with school friends that bring out the Mama Bear worst in you.

The moments when your heart flutters as you watch them fall asleep.

Their soft skin.

Their questions. Oh, their many questions.

The bad word that slips out of their mouths when you least expect it – and you’re still blaming the neighborhood kid.

When they pray!

The innocence you long to cling to that slowly slips away…

The way they call you “mom”…

No, they’re not mine. And, they’re not yours either.

And I guess in some strange way, I’m grateful.

Thankful that there is a God who knows more…loves more…

And can and will do immeasurable more than I could ever ask, think, or imagine for the precious treasures He has allowed me the privilege of taking care of this side of eternity.

I’ve been complimented a number of times regarding how Jim and I have raised our children.

But…

When I look at this child…

When I look at Erin, I see how she is His.

And although God has given me the amazing honor and privilege of being her mother, I see His fingerprints all over her life – the countless ways in which she is so like Him. The things about her that we as her parents could never teach her – because we’re still learning ourselves.

Today is Erin’s last day in the Dominican Republic!

I can’t wait for her to come home!

But, I’m so thankful for the time that she’s been away – taking in all that God desired to show her and do through her in the midst of what He’s doing in the D.R.

As I read her journal entry, I was reminded, yet again.

She belongs to Him.  

Today we went to the Emmanuel House! It was absolutely amazing! As soon as I got there two girls came over to me and grabbed my hand and hung out with me the entire time. They were so welcoming and their smiles were contagious. Even though I didn’t understand everything they were saying, it didn’t matter- we were friends immediately.

Later on, a few girls got up and sang some songs in English. I felt so blessed to hear them sing about Jesus in our language along with being able to sing to them in Spanish. When we sang “Mighty To Save” all the kids sang along and the smiles on their faces showed that they knew what the words of the song meant. Although many were young, the love for Jesus and each other radiated from them.

The hardest part is always saying goodbye. Every word, hug and smile is precious and are moments that I will never forget.

Erin Kelly

But, before I unload I preface all of this by first telling you that I’ve prayed hard and long about what to share. And I trust that God has given me the right spirit and words.

If you watched the local news stations (either last night or this morning) you might have heard part of the story. If you missed it — here’s a link:

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/buffalo/athletic-trainer-saves-life-of-Referee

If you weren’t there, and have now watched the segment, you’ve only heard part of the story. The part the media, Jim Martek (the Ref), the doctor, and the Athletic Trainer have chosen to share.

But, there’s more, and I know that…

Because we were there.

Jim, my mom and dad, Jim’s best friend Chris, Pastor Matt, nurse Judy, Klaire, Beth, the Stone family and many more were there.

The CCA Crusaders were playing Mount Mercy Magic. It was the first quarter and already the competition was fierce. No doubt our girls would have to go hard all four quarters to win this one.

And then it happened, right in front of us.

The “Ref” handed one of the players the ball to take out and just went down. As he lay there, all I remember is the terrifying sound of his desperate struggle to breathe — it was completely silent except for the sound of this man gasping for air. I’m shaking even now as I try to type this all in — as I remember it.

It was as if we (everyone in the gymnasium) knew. Immediately, there was a common bond and understanding. You could feel the weight of eternity bearing down into the severity of the moment — almost as if it was being held off while pondering the shared compassion for this fragile man so few of us knew. We instinctively stretched our hands toward the man whose life hung by a thread while reaching our hearts toward heaven praying for that thread to be strengthened. We were pleading. We were crying. We were coming boldly to the throne of grace to find help in our time of great need — on his behalf, for his life, for his soul…

I remember well the sounds. It reminded me of the day Hunter went home to Jesus. The memory of that moment with my precious son overwhelmed me as I fell to my knees standing in the gap for “the Ref” — and the Spirit interceded with words that I simply could not muster in my own strength.

Honestly, it was horrifying and amazing.

Horrifying in that it appeared we were all witnessing a man die — pass from time into eternity right before our very eyes.

Amazing because God had strategically orchestrated that moment for His sovereign purposes — His people were there and we were all storming His throne praying for a miracle.

We left Mount Mercy Academy that night drenched in tears and deep anguish. The outcome looked grim. We continued to pray. Late that evening, I received this heartbreaking text, “He didn’t make it.” The girls and I prayed for “the Ref’s” family, his children, wife — not even knowing what his name was, or if he even had a family. It was over…

But just like the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-44), who had been well beyond hope, the next day there was amazing news — news that defied reason: “the Ref” was in a coma in the ICU.

What?

We were shocked and thanked God.

But God wasn’t quite finished and this remarkable news was followed by an even more amazing turn of events — he was out of the coma, talking to his family, “the Ref” was going to be fine.

A miracle.

We didn’t witness a man die. We witnessed a miracle.

And so now, I get to the point of why I’m sharing this with you.

You see, I watched part of the segment last night. And this morning, I watched the link above. And after watching, listening, texting my mother, father, and praying — I’m overwhelmed.

Here’s what I just wrote in my journal:

Lord, after watching the account of what happened to Jim (the Ref) at Erin’s game, I can’t help but have completely mixed emotions. I’m so thankful that You, God heard the prayers of Your people interceding for that man’s very life and soul. I’m in awe that the doctor said that there was only a 5 percent chance of survival for cases like this and YOU saved him. I’m thankful for all the people that You had there, in that moment, to help this man when every second mattered — when his heart stopped beating and when he wasn’t breathing.

And yet, I’m shocked and full of sorrow. There was no mention of You. Mere man can do nothing apart from You. You made sure just the right people who knew what they were doing were there; You made sure that just the right equipment was available in the building. You did all of this. You saved his life. You heard the cries of Your people. You answered our prayers. You performed a miracle. You did all this.

And so now, I’m asking You Lord…

How can these people not see it?

How can they not give You all the honor and glory?

How can they not see YOU?

As per my typical quiet-time routine, I continued to pray and then I grabbed my Bible and started reading where I left off yesterday. Here are some of the verses I read:

“You saw with your own eyes what the LORD did…” Deut 4:3

“What other nation (people) is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD is near us whenever we pray to him?” Deut. 4:7

“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.” Deut. 4:9

“You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.” Deut. 4:35

Needless to say, I was a wreck after reading.

Here’s the thing, and I’m not ashamed to admit it — before I read these verses, I was frustrated, aggravated, and so sad. How could “the Ref” story be told without acknowledging God? He’s the Miracle Maker. He’s the only ONE who deserves the praise for rescuing this man’s life. So I was indignant and in my ignorance I prayed and talked to God.

And He responded.

Read the verses I shared again…

Do you see it?

He doesn’t want us to forget. He doesn’t want me to forget!

He allowed us to witness the “miracle.”

He did it for us

So that we would be reminded…

So that we wouldn’t forget…

HE IS GOD, there is no other.

It’s all Him.

The compassion we all felt.

The praying.

The tears.

The breathing.

The trainer.

The equipment.

The hospital.

The doctors.

The medicine.

The MIRACLE.

So that we might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.

I believe we all have moments where God reveals Himself to us in ways beyond what we can fully comprehend this side of heaven. This moment and the miracle it brought have been etched upon our hearts. And only by His grace and mercy will we be able to remember and never forget…

He is God

There is no other.

To a lost, wayward, messy and confused people…

He is still the WAY.

To a people consumed by lies, hypocrisy, deceit, and contradictions…

He is still the TRUTH.

To a dead, sinful, depraved, desperate, hopeless, and helpless people…

He is still the LIFE.

And we ponder, wonder.

We fear and fret.

We get angry and react… Then maybe respond.

We mourn and grieve.

And Still He is GOD.

To a wicked, immoral, sick people… He is still Redemption, Forgiveness, and Healing.

To weak, weary, wounded, and withering souls… He is still STRONG and MIGHTY to SAVE.

To the unloved and unlovable…He is still All-consuming, Perfect LOVE.

To a sowing in tears,

A mourning in deep anguish,

A weeping uncontrollably,

A grief-stricken, utterly inconsolable people…

He is still the COMFORTER, the Keeper of Tears, and Bearer of Burdens.

And when history’s careworn pages become so stained by our tears

That they cannot even be read any more in our despairing quest to make sense of the senseless…

Still, we search for answers…

Still, we ask “why”…

Still, at the end of it all…

He is JESUS

And still, He is the ANSWER.

In the wake of the horror that transpired at Sandy Hook Elementary School…the anguish of soul and depth of despair runs deep…and yet there is Truth and Hope that runs deeper still.

He is still the ONLY ANSWER.

Heavenly Father…please do what only You can do in the midst of our brokenness…

Where were you on September 11, 2001?  Like most Americans I imagine that you can probably recite where you were and exactly what you were doing when the horrible terrorists attacks on our country began to unfold.  The morning of September 11^th at approximately 8:40am I boarded a USAir flight out of Buffalo heading to Albany.  Our flight landed at Albany airport at 9:35am and we all deboarded the plane with absolutely no knowledge of what we would come to find out.  I will never forget the overwhelming sense of fear and sorrow I felt as I watched the horrific acts of hate on the United States.  These historic events changed not only New York City’s beautiful skyline, but the spirit of our nation as well.  In the days and weeks since then, extraordinary stories of hope and heartbreak as well as amazing acts of bravery have flooded our newspapers, magazines, and televisions.  In our country’s darkest hour, ordinary, everyday people courageously went above and beyond the call of duty.  The countless valiant acts touched the lives of millions and America’s new heroes arose from the smoldering ashes.  Our nation and the entire world will never be the same. What do you remember? And what do you do with what you remember? I write. That’s what I do to help myself remember moments in life that I don’t want to forget. Today, as I listened and cried…and remembered, I couldn’t help but pray. And maybe, that’s exactly what God wanted me to do.

Pray for our country.

Pray for all the families who still suffer and grieve as a result of what happened that day.

Pray for the hearts of all who dwell upon our soil to turn back to God.

Pray for all the men and women who fight for freedom and those who pay the ultimate price to defend our country.

Pray for mercy.

Pray for forgiveness.

Pray that God would protect us from the enemy.

The list is endless. I don’t understand – but I choose to trust God anyway.

What about you? Will you pray with me?

When you remember, will you choose to run to God?  

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Israel, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:11-14

What I do here is share my heart. And that’s what I feel led to do after seeing, “The Hunger Games.” Whether you agree with me or not (and most of you might not) – this is my opinion and I feel strongly enough about this to share it publicly. In doing so, I invite criticism and comments – as I do with everything I choose to write about here.

I should’ve read “Plugged-In,” A Focus on the Family Website that reviews movies. I should’ve known that if the world is eager; bursting with anticipation, the movie is probably not for the follower of Jesus.

I could have suggested a different movie around the same time. I could’ve chosen not to blow off my oldest daughter’s words before we walked into the theater, “I don’t have a good feeling about this Mom.”

Even as I sat in the theater, praying, tears streaming down my cheeks, I could’ve grabbed my daughters and their friends, and left.

I could have done all of these things— but I didn’t.

I stayed and watched, listened, prayed, and cried.

Why?

I’m not sure. Maybe so I could write this. Or maybe so that next time, I will heed the warning signs and follow after the heart of God rather than the clamoring enticements of this world.

So here’s my heart on this…

I have never in my life seen a movie that so blatantly attacks the moral fiber of decency and humanity. An utterly humanistic movie that is demoralizing and polarizing, it had absolutely no thread of true redeemable value running through it whatsoever (except for Katniss’s standing in the gap for her younger sister – while valiant and praiseworthy – this gets swallowed up in the deep darkness of everything else that’s going on).  The two words that come to mind are: “evil” and “dark.” To say that I was deeply disturbed and shocked would be an understatement. While there are a number of movies out there that I would quickly suggest to not see — this one would loom at the top of that list in bold print.

After sharing my opinion regarding this, some have said “Well, you need to read the books so you understand the full story.” Really? So, if I take the time to read the full story, I might feel different than I do now? Hmmm, I have a hard time justifying spending time reading about the types of things I saw in this movie. And why should I – why should I have to search for redeemable value?

For the sake of sparing you the horrifying details (you can read any number of movie reviews on this, I would suggest Movieguide or Plugged-In) I’ll close with sharing what this uneasy experience has taught me.

1. I’m a follower of Jesus — My love for Christ should be the root of every single decision I make. Because I love Him, I should seek to do that which would please Him. Yes, I will fall short often and His grace is always sufficient for my many screw-ups. However, when I know I’m walking into something that is not true, noble, praiseworthy, or excellent, then I have a decision to make. Love for Him and its resulting obedience should guide me.

1. I’m a mother — and I will forever be accountable for what I allow my children to see, hear, and absorb through their senses — as well as what they do not see, etc… while they’re under my care. Ideas have consequences and the things I allow and disallow to shape their perceptions will ultimately influence and impact their decisions in life. And we all know, we win or lose by the way we choose. I will make a wiser, better, and more godly choice of influence next time.

1. I’m a New Creation — Set apart by God for King and Kingdom. In that knowledge I understand that there are kingdoms in conflict — at war. And if the “world” runs after it, then it’s probably not in my best interest to run with them. In fact I should probably run the other way!

1. I have the power of the Living God in me — The enemy is real and we are the only way he can get to God! So he will relentlessly pursue our moral and spiritual destruction tempting us into thinking and believing that, “It’s only a movie… It’s only a slightly off-color joke… It’s just one drink…” and on it goes. We have the power of the ONE who created all that is and holds it all together! We have this power in us and must use it to choose LIFE over death, light over darkness, hope over despair, and truth over pretense. The road is NARROW!

In a circle of friends if we were to ask each other, “What was the last movie you saw?” Or, “What was the message you heard in church last weekend?” I would imagine most of us would remember the movie more than the message (except for Jim since he uses the concussion excuse for not remembering very much at all — LOL).

So…what do you think?

And…

What can we do about it?

Her great faith and strength in the BIG “C” – Christ in the face of the little “c” – cancer, has deeply humbled me today.

I pray that in sharing some of her experience, you too might be encouraged to persevere and trust despite whatever it might be that you’re going through today. God is greater than our greatest need. He is the ultimate Hero and Rescue Plan in every circumstance. No matter what, He will work ALL things together for good – for those who love HIM. (Romans 8:28)

“On Friday my hair began to fall out and it has been a difficult and revealing experience for me.  Even though I knew it was coming and I tried to brace myself for it, there is a certain sinking reality and sadness over the loss of my identity.  From the time the girls were small, I have enjoyed styling my longish hair and they used to call it my “Tea Party Hat” when I’d wear it up in a bun.  To stand at my sink and watch it come out in handfuls as I brushed was overwhelming.  My husband walked in and stood behind me as I cried and held handfuls of my formerly thick hair.  He leaned over and kissed my head and told me I was still beautiful to him.  ”We are in this together” he said, “and nothing will change my love for you.”

…

I am grateful that we are teammates.  All of life’s journey is to be shared, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health…with or without a headful of hair. The smiles and the love of Jesus in our hearts will be the beauty that encircles us.  We are clinging daily to His Word and finding “strength and beauty in His sanctuary”.

The picture of the bird with the babies under her wings reminds me of the old hymn “Under His Wings I am Safely Abiding”.  What a picture of the provision and peace of our good and gracious God.

This week, I’ve been singing “How Firm a Foundation” and letting the words preach to my soul.  Here’s one verse I’ll be singing for you today:

Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed,

For I am your God, and will still give you aid;

I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,

Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

…

There is nothing to fear and nothing to dread….

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”

In a recent email, I read about a woman named Pam, who knows the pain of considering abortion. More than 24 years ago, she and her husband Bob were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in contaminated food or drink. She went into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant.

Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety and told her that the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted. Pam said the doctors didn’t think of it as a life, they thought of it as a mass of fetal tissue.

While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times but refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband: If you will give us a son, we’ll name him Timothy and we’ll make him a preacher.

Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy August 14, 1987. Pam’s youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father’s ministry in the Philippines. He also plays football. Pam’s son is Tim Tebow.

The University of Florida’s star quarterback became the first sophomore in history to win college football’s highest award, the Heisman Trophy. His current role as quarterback of the Denver Broncos has provided an incredible platform for Christian witness. As a result, he is being called The Mile-High Messiah.

Tim’s notoriety and the family’s inspiring story have given Pam numerous opportunities to speak on behalf of women’s centers across the country. Pam Tebow believes that every little baby you save matters. I pray her tribe will increase!

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always!

Dr. Gerald B. (Jerry) Kieschnick

It’s Christmas Eve, 2011, and the Buffalo Bills are hosting the Denver Broncos.  It’s “Tebow time” here in Buffalo, and with one of the most exciting players to take a snap this season coming to Buffalo, the atmosphere is electric with anticipation! And among the most high-voltage Tebow fans to light up the stands is Erin Marie, our firstborn.

You have to know Erin, she’s as sweet and caring as she can be and rarely asks for anything — she’s all about the giving. I felt like a broken record trying to pry a Christmas list from her, but eventually was able to squeeze one special request from her heart, she asked for one very specific thing:  “I’d really like to go to the Broncos game and meet Tim Tebow.”

Knowing that this would be an easy task for her father, I shared her request with Jim.  Now, you need to understand something about JK, he hates asking players for anything, even for his own kids. Autographs, photo-ops, souvenirs — he shies away from any of that kind of stuff because he doesn’t want the guys to think that he’s taking advantage of them.

And I get that — it’s a good rule-of-thumb. However, I think you know me well enough to know that this was the exception to the rule in my rule-book. I confess, I called a blitz and sent it all in from guilt to glamour (just to be sure)! “This is for your daughter. It’s the only thing she wants for Christmas…” Seriously, what’s a mother to do?

Needless to say, I really didn’t have to blitz, Jim is a great father and did what ever it took to bless Erin.

Here’s what happened…

During pre-game warm-ups Jim brought all of us (Erin, Camryn, our nephew Chad, my sister-in-law Tricia, and me) down on the field. After watching some of the players practice for a while we made our way over to the tunnel (where all the players enter the playing field). While we were waiting for Tim to come out of the locker room (I kind of felt like a crazy fan with just a touch of stalker) Jim stopped to talk to the Broncos Head Coach, John Fox and John Elway (a friend and former Denver Bronco quarterback during the same era as Jim). You would’ve thought Jim and John were ready to pull up some chairs and order drinks — they talked like two women who hadn’t seen each other in years. It was fun listening to them reminisce but I’ll admit, we were anxious to meet Tim.

Just as Jim and John ended their conversation, Tim walked out of the locker room. When he noticed Jim, he immediately stopped and extended his hand. It all happened so fast, (I guess warm-ups and a very important game took precedence over our group meeting — of course it did, hello, it’s football season). There were cameras everywhere, so it wasn’t like Jim and Tim could have any sort of deep conversation. After a quick hello and the routine small talk, Jim turned towards us and introduced us to Tim. You should have seen the look on Erin’s face. Priceless.

After we were introduced, I couldn’t help but say one more thing before Tim walked away. As he started to walk towards the end of the tunnel I said, “Thank you for loving Jesus so much.”

And he responded, “That’s what it’s all about, right?!”

That’s what it’s all about — RIGHT.

Here’s the deal, it’s all about loving Jesus!

Tim Tebow apparently gets this. I don’t know him. But, what I’ve seen, read and heard tell me that this man is on fire for the Lord. And because he is, everyone and their brother seem to think they have to answer this question: What are you going to do with Tim Tebow?

He’s all over the news. Not by choice— it simply sells! So the media is having a field day with everything Tim Tebow. And because of this, people have started to share how they feel about him.

Just this morning, when I logged into my AOL account there was an article with this headline: Tim Tebow Wins Again And Charles Barkley Says ‘The National Nightmare Continues’

Part of the article reads:

Missanelli then asked Barkley if he has had enough of Tebow.

“I think the world has,” Barkley replied. “First of all, Mike, I don’t know anything you said about Tebow but let’s just say the jury is still out on Tebow. He seems like a nice kid but these ups and downs are so different. The jury is still out on Tebow…”

Hmmm, I think it’s more like the world “has had enough” of Jesus. Needless to say, the media is all over Tebow. Why?

I’ll tell you what I think. First of all God has elevated Tim and given him the platform he has. God gave him talent — the ability to play exceptional football (yes, even JK says the guy can play so let’s not even go there — wink, wink.) God placed him on the Denver Broncos. God has allowed this team to win and lose (remember it’s a team sport). And God has allowed the media frenzy.

The frenzy we hear and see is not even about Tim Tebow. It’s about Jesus. If Tim didn’t chose to be so open about thanking Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior, the media wouldn’t be all over him. Twitter wouldn’t be trending #TimTebow. Google wouldn’t be posting a record number of searches for John 3:16.  YouTube wouldn’t have thousands of hits on #15 singing “Lord I lift Your Name on high” during a football game. The mayor of Pittsburg wouldn’t have lost a bet and had to wear a #15 Broncos jersey while Tebowing (bending down on one knee with head down — looking as though one is praying).

None of this is really about Tim at all. It’s about the One he loves — Jesus.

Because at the end of the day, it’s always going to be all about Jesus. Wherever His Name is proclaimed, and He is legitimately honored from the heart, there is controversy.

The interesting thing about all this is the fact that all Tim has done is thank God.  Whether verbally after a win (or loss, yes, he still thanks Jesus after a loss), or physically by bending the knee in prayer, or pointing to the heavens in praise. He hasn’t stomped his feet with conviction and intolerance on some soap box insisting that everyone repent or go straight to the fires of hell. No, all he’s done is thank and praise God. it’s crazy how much this drives people to such intense verbal abuse and condemnation.

The thing is, God doesn’t need Tim Tebow. He spoke and light existed, and He knows the number of hairs on your head. As if He needs any one of us. He doesn’t. But Tim Tebow, you, me, and everyone else breathing right now — we need Him.

We need God.

So, instead of asking or contemplating what we’re going to do with all of the Tebowmania, I guess we should ask ourselves the very question Tim asked me:

That’s what it’s all about right?

Maybe we should focus beyond the man to the One greater…

What are you going to do with the One it’s all about?

What are you going to do with Jesus?

For those of you who might not be familiar with this story, it’s found in the Gospel of Luke and it’s short enough for me to share it all here.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42

There are layers and layers of truth in this story but I’m not going to get into all of that (although I would love to and maybe will another time).

Here’s the deal… I’ve been running like Martha but I crave the life and love of Mary.

I don’t know if it’s the season or the fact that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew —or both.

Regardless of the details that have brought me to this place, I’m choosing to do something about it. I’ve been distracted, worried and upset about many things. Like Martha, I’ve assumed that all of the things I’ve been doing are good because…they’re for Him. But they’re not what is better. The Doing is never better than the Being. I need to focus my heart, soul, mind and strength on the one thing that’s needed. Jesus.

And although this is a struggle, I’m so thankful that God chose today, during this time of year, to bring me back to my first Love… To bring me back to the feet of Jesus so that I can listen to what He’s saying instead of assuming that I already know.

I imagine that most of us have pulled a Martha… Maybe you’re stuck in her shadow right now.

Read the story again.

And again.

Hear Jesus speak into your distraction…  “…only one thing is needed.” Like Mary then, choose what is better. And don’t let doing good become opposed to choosing better.