Disposable Friendships

I have been doing some pondering this week on friendship. According to my Facebook page I have 695 friends. I had more than that but I “unfriended” some I didn’t really know. I imagine I have been “unfriended” too. As I was thinking about that, a thought came to mind: We live in a time with “Disposable Friendships.” Now I realize that is not a pleasant thought, but let me tell you what I mean by that.

I have a few very close friends. Friends I have known for years that stick closer than a brother. I have had friendships at the different places I have worked and preached that seemed “close,” but when I moved, they ended for all intents purposes (Even though we promised to keep in touch). Then there are those friendships that seemed very close, but I felt it was kind of a one way street. When I pulled back from the friendship my feelings were confirmed. No phone calls. No “what’s wrong?” No “can we talk?” It just ended.

The fact is, some people aren’t willing to do what it takes to salvage a relationship. It’s not that they don’t like you; it’s just easier to make new friends than actually work on a relationship. Relationships take work; Hard work! No relationship is a one way street.

I was talking with my old friend Jeff Flannery a few months back. Jeff and I went to High School together. Jeff plays guitar a rock band. I got to see him a couple of times last year when his band played in Seattle. It was great to see him some 20 years later. As we were talking one day on the phone, he said “You know Glenn, I just love you man! All these years later and it’s like we never missed a beat. In this business you meet a lot of people who claim to be your friend, but then you find out they were only your friend because of what you could offer them. I have found some of the only real friends I ever had were the ones back in High School.”

I feel honored, but it is a sad statement. Yet I wonder how many of us could repeat it? Some of my closest friends are the ones that date back to High School. When I was having heart scare last year, my friends Chris and Byron were ready to hop on a plane and head this way. I met Byron when I was 17 and Chris when I was 8. I don’t talk to these guys every day, but I know they are there. You have people like that too don’t you?

What about the people in your life right now? Maybe a better question is, Am I being that kind of friend for someone who needs it, or do I view friendships as disposable?

Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 18:24 - A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Here is the point: Friendships were never meant to be disposable. Work to keep your friendships alive. Realize they are a two way street. If you have a friendship now that is not as close as it once was, ask yourself what you have done to make it that way. Ask yourself what you can do to salvage it. The other person may need your friendship more than you know.

A Life Without Grace

I don't know about you, but the title of this blog makes me cringe. I can't possibly imagine a life without grace. But for some, the concept of grace is difficult. It was for me for much of my life. As much as I love and respected my preacher growing up, grace was not a typical Sunday morning sermon topic.

And as I entered the ministry, I didn't often see grace among church members. I saw anger, resentment, racism, and elitism; but little grace. I had a woman in my office today describing her upbringing and she used the words, "there was no grace." My wife and I have recently reached out to a couple of young people who have made some missteps in their lives. One feels and complete rejection from "the church," and the other feels rejection from their "Christian" family.

I remember being at a congregation where a young lady responded on Sunday asking the church for forgiveness for a sexual relationship that had become public. I had one person say to me, "the only reason she responded was because she got caught." My response was "well praise God she got caught!"

In 2 Samuel, David received a great promise from God. God had promised to establish a kingdom through the linage of David that would stand forever. Because of Gods promise, David knelt in reverence declaring the sovereignty of God. For all intents and purposes, David had reached a pinnacle in life that few ever reach. But when David reached that pinnacle, he did what many others do: he fell. He committed a sexual sin with Bathsheeba and murdered her husband in the process of trying to cover it up.

In chapter 12 we read where David was rebuked. Without going over the whole story, when David realized he was busted, he repented. And guess what God did? FORGAVE! But what did it take? It took him getting caught to realize the magnitude of his sin.

I guess I am rambling, but the point I am trying to make is that we need to make sure that the church is a place people can find grace. The Christian home is a place where children should find grace. I am not saying that we should use this a permission to let people sin or children disobey; but when they do we should take the opportunity to show grace. How can people ever understand God's grace if they don't see it from God's people?

When people are brought face to face with their sin, it is not rejection they need. It is love, compassion, and grace. And if your wondering how many times you should forgive someone, a good question to ask yourself is this: "How many times have I sinned?" What would your life be like without grace? The very thought should make us cringe.

From the Other Side of the Hospital Bed

As a minister, I have made trips to the hospital many times. I have rejoiced those who are celebrating the birth of a child and I have cried with those mourning the loss of a loved one. I have sat at the bedside of those battling cancer and I have prayed with those who are scared of what the doctor is going to say. But last weekend I was given a new perspective. I was the one in the hospital bed.

I first want to say that I appreciate all the love and support that was given to me by those who called, visited, emailed, texted, facebooked, and prayed. But I also experienced a few things that were not so positive. For years I have had people say to me that people with good intentions often said and did discouraging things while they were in the hospital. After this past weekend I can say that this is true. And I do not write this as a rant, but as to teach.

So after my experience over the weekend, and years of people telling me of their experiences, here are a few pointers if you have a loved one or a friend in the hospital:
• Keep visits short. Normally the patient will be tired from tests and/or medication.

• During the visit, focus your attention on the patient. Talk to them, not about them to others in the room.

• Do not give reasons why you think they may be in the hospital. Even if you think they brought it on themselves because of stress or lifestyle, it is probably best you keep that information to yourself. Job’s three friends did great until they started telling him why he was sick. Then in 16:2 Job refers to them as “miserable comforters.” They best thing you can do for someone is be there. You don’t have to say everything you think.

• Be careful about using sarcastic humor. Sometimes the patient may not be in the mood for joking and humor and may take it more personally than you intended.

• Be patient with the patient. Don’t lecture them or get frustrated with them even if you think they are being crabby or feeling sorry for themselves. If you have not been in their shoes, you have no idea what they are feeling.

This experience has made me see some changes I need to make when I go visit others. It has also helped me to see I need to do a better job not making excuses and just go. Now that I have been in those shoes (actually brown socks with sticky stuff on the bottom) I have a new perspective. I hope all who read this will take it with the spirit intended. Not as a rant, but as an opportunity to teach and help us all better learn to “encourage one another—and all the more as
you see the Day approaching. (Heb. 10:25)”

GO TELL IT!!!

Austine Vimba was an older, quiet, unassuming man. Or so I thought…

I met Austine my first day at IBC (now Heritage Christian University). We had two classes together. I came to discover that Austine was from Zimbabwe and was formerly a Zulu warrior. It didn’t seem possible. This man was one of the most soft-spoken and calm men I had ever met. Or so I thought…

Every semester, students were (and still are) required to go on an evangelistic campaign. Regina and I were scheduled to go to Vidalia, Georgia: home of the sweet onion. Austine was also scheduled to go on this campaign.

Each morning, we had a devotional period and one of the students would share a short sermon to prepare us for the day. Monday morning, our speaker was Austine. As he got up to speak, he was very quiet. I was sleepy that morning and thought it was going to be tough to stay awake with that soft of a voice speaking. Or so I thought…

About 5 minutes into his talk, after softly reading some scriptures, he said “so you can see from these readings that we are to GO TELL IT!!!!” Those three words came out of nowhere! I think some of the popcorn ceiling came loose in the little class room we were in. I have been to rock concerts with lesser volume! Regina literally jumped out of her seat, and she wasn’t the only one. The remainder of his talk was given at a similar volume. We were all kind of in shock.

And the end of his talk about the importance of sharing the message of Jesus, he quieted back down. He said, “Before I was a Christian, I was a warrior. And when we went into battle, we would sound out the battle cry. We would sound it out with passion and conviction. I would encourage us to do the same thing. Because the battle we are in ‘is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Eph. 6:12-13).’ So let us arm ourselves, and with passion, sound out our battle cry. Let us GO TELL IT!!!!”

I still remember that like it was yesterday. It was nearly 17 years ago. It was my first campaign. It was the first morning devotional of the week and it gave each and everyone of us the motivation we needed. We baptized 10 people that week! On Friday night when we were preparing to drive back home, Austine, in his quiet voice said “well men, we went and told it. And God brought the increase. Aren’t you glad we serve a God who keeps his promises?” Amen Brother Austine! Amen!

The Most Hypocritical Thing I have Ever Written

I have something on my mind I want to say, but I have to be a hypocrite to say it.

I was listening to John Lauterbach speak on Wednesday night, and he said "sometimes we are so busy talking, we forget to listen." The fact is, we love to talk. We talk at work, we talk on our cell phones, we text, we get on Facebook and talk, we tweet so everybody can know what we had for dinner, and then we sit sown and write a blog so everyone can know our thoughts.

I sometimes get frustrated when teaching a Bible class when people have too many comments. I think, "Why do you want to talk so much? This is my turn to talk!!! Listen to me."

Many of you have probably seen the movie I Am Legend with Will Smith. The movie is about a terrible virus that wipes out 99% of the population and turns the rest into zombies. Will's character, Robert Neville, thinks he is all alone until he meets Anna. Anna tells him about a survivor's colony in Connecticut. When he asks her how she knows about it she says that God told her. She says, "Now that the world is quiet, if you will listen, you can hear God."

We are noisy aren't we? I mean, I'm being noisy right now! I'm using all these words to tell us that we need to take time in our lives to "disconnect" so we can connect to God. If we are doing all the talking, how can we ever hope to hear what God might be trying to tell us?

After you read this, turn off your computer and your cell phone and any other noise making device near you. Open your Bible to the psalms and pick one. Read it. Sit back and close your eyes for 10 minutes and listen. Just try it!

I'm gonna practice what I am preaching and shut up now...

Is that you Holy Spirit?

For the past several weeks, I have been leading a group of about 40 interested Christians in a study on Experiencing the Holy Spirit. Besides the Bible, our primary text has been the book "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it.

Last night, we were talking about "Plugging into the Spirit's Power." At the beginning of class I showed a clip from Chan's DVD study resource for Forgotten God. In it, he told a story of a Pastor who felt like he heard the voice of God tell him to go to the beach. When he got there, he found a woman standing on a pier and felt that God was leading him to approach her. As the story progresses, she was planning on committing suicide, and he was able to stop her and lead her to a relationship with Jesus. Francis tells it better than I do but you get the point.

I was raised in a church where the Holy Spirit was rarely motioned except during the occasional baptism. So still to this day, when I hear stories of the Spirit's leading, I get skeptical. Now, undeniably there have been times in my own life that I have felt the Spirit's gentle (and not so gentle) nudging, but when I hear someone else's story I tend to question it. Could it be I am not as plugged into the spirit as I think I am?

What do we do with stories like that? How do we process it? How do we become more plugged in to the Spirit? How do we discern the Spirit's leading?

I had a mother and her 20ish daughter approach me last night and ask me, "How do I know if it is the Holy Spirit talking to me or just my own thoughts?" What a great question! I wish I knew the answer! But I gave them this to think about: Sometimes we may not know, but if the words that come into our head are within the parameters of God's word and God's will, and we do them, that will always be a good thing!

For example: Let's say you are sitting in a restaurant and your waitress seems troubled. You feel a nudging, almost a voice, telling you too tell her, "hey, I just feel like I needed to let you know that no matter what you are struggling with right now, God loves you." If it was the Spirit telling you to do that, then you obeyed the Spirit. If it was your own conscience, you have still done the right thing. It's never wrong to tell someone God loves them, right?

Sometimes I'm not sure we will ever know it it was the Holy Spirit that led us a certain direction, but if the journey led us closer to God, the it was the right thing to do.

What's my point? Be open to the Spirit's leading. Be obedient to what God would have us to do. And when you feel like God is leading you in a certain direction, if it matches the principles of his word, GO! Obedience will never lead you to the wrong place.

(If you want to see a clip of the DVD I mentioned, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=espqNx6D3Jo)

Pepperdine Highlights and Memories

I took many things away from a wonderful week in Malibu. One thing I took with me was the need to start blogging again, so here goes:

I believe I have attended the lectures 8 or 9 times now, and I can truly say that this was the best one yet. From the keynotes, to the worship, most of the classes I attended, and the many friends I got to see, I left fed and nurtured. It was a much needed week and I came back revived and renewed. It was great to have 28 from Lakeview attend this year.

Somethings I took away from the week that I plan to focus on over the coming weeks and months:

1) The absolute need for exellence in everything we do inside of our buildings. So often we just kinda wing it. Our assemblies serve as an entry point for many unchurched. What do they see? What do the feel? Tim Spivey likened a visit to many of our churches like a trip to Grandmas house. It's comfortable to Grandma; she likes it. But to a visitor, it may smell funny, the carpet doesn't match the curtains, and there are stacks of old newspapers everywhere. Our churches are comfortable to us, they are home. But what if you got an unchurched friend to come in and just give you their impressions? What would you find out?

2)The need for quality UPDATED websites. This may sound silly, but a recent Barna survey says that 40% of newcomers who walk in our door look for us on the web first. If our site in poor quality and out of date, that sends and negitive message about our church.

3)The importance of the Holy Spirit's leading. I could go all day on this. I don't talk about the Holy Spirit in my sermons as much as I should and I guess that is out of fear. But the fear will be pushed to the side and the gloves ate coming off. We cannot be the restored church without restoring the role of the Holy Spirit!

I suppose other things stood out to me as well and I will blog on them as soon as my tired mind gets some rest and I can remember more.

One of the highlights of the week was the classes I got to co-teach. Jim, Dennis and I had a small group, but I think the class was well recieved.

It was a joy to co-teach with my beautiful bride! I am blessed to have such a godly wife and she did a great job!

More later...

Thoughts on "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Last night my family and I sat down to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” I suppose I have seen this every year since my birth. I love this show! And I love sitting down to watch it with my family like my parents used to sit down to watch it with my brothers and me.

As I was watching it this year, something struck me that I had never noticed before. Of course the show is about Charlie Brown trying to find the true meaning of Christmas. Lucy decides that he needs “involvement” and makes him director of the Christmas play. The next several minutes of the show is chaos. No one wants to listen, everyone is going their own direction, and bickering and arguing ensue. Think about that, the first ¾ of the show is chaos.

Finally, Charlie Brown asks the million dollar question: “CAN’T ANYONE TELL ME WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT?” Linus answers, “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about… Lights please!”

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

“That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown” Linus concludes.

Now this is what I noticed: Prior to Linus’ speech, there was Chaos! But as he concludes his speech, Charlie Brown simply picks up his little tree and walks away. His friends follow him and decorate the tree singing “Hark the Herald Angels sing.” Prior to the announcement: CHAOS. After the announcement: PEACE!

Maybe this is a bit simplistic, but if you have Chaos in your life the recognition that “God is with us” can bring a sense of peace that no other announcement can bring.

8 Years Later - Still Undivided?

You know where you were. I know where I was. I was laying on Dr. Rick Brown's Chiropractic table in Eustis. Rick was one of my elders at the time. The word came on the radio and from that point on, everything else that day is kind of a blur.

But what I remember in the following days are actually good memories. America was praying again. America was back in church. God was being prayed to and Jesus was being exalted on National TV. Our petty differences were viewed as exactly that: petty. And as a result those differences were placed on the back burner for something that mattered even more: ONE NATION UNDER GOD.

In the months that followed, many artists wrote and recorded songs that paid tribute to those lost on 9/11/01. One of those songs was "Undivided" by Bon Jovi.

That was my brother lost in the rubble
That was my sister lost in the crush
That was our mothers, those were our children
That was our fathers, that was each one of us
A million prayers to God above
A million tears make an ocean of

One for love
One for truth
One for me, one for you

I found spirit, they couldn't ruin it
I found courage in the smoke and dust
I found faith in the songs you silenced
Deep down its ringing out in each of us

One for love
One for truth
One for me, one for you

Where we once were divided, now we stand united
We stand as one... undivided.

How many hands? how many hearts?
How many dreams been torn apart?
Enough, enough... the time has come to rise back as

One for love
One for truth
One for me, one for you

Where we once were divided now we stand united
We stand as one... undivided.

I went back and watched the video today. I even watched the live performance of it from two months after and I heard him say "let's not let this feeling fade away." Sadly, for many, it has. We are once again divided over so many things: War, The President, health care, and the economy just to name a few. More walls of division are being constructed everyday and no one takes credit for building them. It's always the other side. And our differences are no longer petty.

I don't ever want another 9/11. But I long for the feeling of a unified nation that we had afterwords. I think of the words of David when he said in Psalm 133, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" I pray we will all have that feeling again and that it will not take another 9/11 to make us "One Nation Under God."

If you would like to watch the video for Undivided, the link is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjtt0limQBw

The live version that was recorded a couple of months after 9/11 is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbit6bl8wUA

Two Sets of Joneses

I have been doing a lot of marriage counseling lately. Actually, more than I ever have before. I don't know if it's because we are not equipping young couples as we used to or if there is just so much more to deal with today, but even in the church we see marraiges struggling and failing on a regular basis.

As I was struggling with this thought and what we can do about it as a church, an old song came to mind that sums up what I believe to be the core of the problem.

TWO SETS OF JONESES by Big Ten Revival

This is a song about two sets of Joneses
Rothchild and Evelyn - Ruban and Sue
Just for discussion through random selection
We've chosen two couples who haven't a clue

Rothchild was lucky to marry so wealthy
Evelyn bought him a house on the beach
Ruban and Sue they had nothing but Jesus
And at night they would pray that he'd care for the each

And the Rain came down - it blew the four walls down
And the clouds they rolled away
One set of Joneses was standing that day

Evelyn's daddy was proud of young Rothchild
He worked the late hours to be number one
Just newlyweds and their marriage got rocky
He's flying to Dallas - She's having a Son

Ruban was holding a Gideon's Bible
He screamed "It's a boy" so that everyone heard
And the Guy's at the factory took a collection
Again God provided for bills he'd incurred.

And the Rain came down - it blew the four walls down
And the clouds they rolled away
One set of Joneses was standing that day

What is the point of this story?
What am I trying to say?
Is your life built on the Rock of Christ Jesus
Or a sandy foundation you've managed to lay?

Well, Needless to say Evelyn left her Husband
Sued him for every penny he had
I truly wish that those two would find Jesus
Before things get worse than they already have

And the Rain came down - it blew the four walls down

And the clouds they rolled away
One set of Joneses was standing that day
There's two sets of Joneses - Which ones will you be?

That may sound simplistic, but I just can't seem to get the tune out of my head. The problem with most couples I see is the focus of their marriage. The focus is self. "I really wish those two would find Jesus."

If you have never heard it, here is the video link.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQE5PNRLZ40

Celebrity Death's and Our Need for God

The death of a celebrity is an amazing thing to me. We have had several lately. Ed McMahon, Vince Young, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays, and, Michael Jackson all died within just a few days of each other. Many of us saw the images of people putting up memorials outside of NBC studios for McMahon, and Outside of a restaurant for Young. I imagine most of us saw at least some of the images from the Michael Jackson memorial. It is estimated that over 1 billion people watched at least some of it.

As humans, we are not good with mortality. We don’t handle death well. I know I don’t. If someone close to me dies, I weep and morn just like the next person. But I guess I wonder why we mourn so much over celebrities. Don’t get me wrong, it’s sad when people die, but I find the outpouring over celebrities interesting. After all, we have soldiers dying everyday in the Middle East but rarely do you hear a name even mentioned. What is it about celebrities?

We as humans have built in within us the need to attach ourselves to something. God made us that way. Some choose to attach themselves to family, others to a job, and others even to a celebrity. God put the need to “seek” in each and every heart he created (Acts 17:26-28). But the ultimate goal of this is that we would find HIM.

People are seekers buy our very nature. God has put it in our heart to seek that we might find him. When we see people “idolizing” celebrities to the point that they almost look as if they are “worshiping” them (I saw one person at the Michal Jackson funeral with their hands raised), this is a reflection of our “need” to worship.

Yet there is only one way the need to worship will be fulfilled in anyone’s life, and that is through the true worship of our almighty God. Again, God created us so that “men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. “For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:26-28)

It’s easy to attach ourselves to what we can see. But in reality, Michael Jackson didn’t know any of those people who were “lifting him up.” When he was alive, those who followed him did not have any “real” access to him. “Idol worship” will never fulfill the need for relationship which we seek. BUT…God knows our names, he created us with the ability to find him, and “he is not that far from each one of us.” That’s Good News!

Homesick

This was Seth's first time ever going to camp. I got word that last night he had a "homesick moment." Luckily, his big brother Hunter was there to comfort him and let him know everything was ok. As his father, hearing he had a homesick moment made me want to go get him a day early and wrap my arms around him. But I know Hunter is there and can take good care of him.

As I begin thinking about that, I wanted to write it down because the paralels are amazing. As Christians, we often have "homesick moments." We have moments of tears, sorrow, and pain, and we long to go home to heaven where these things will be no more. (Rev. 21:4)

But God has surrounded us with spiritual brothers and sisters, so with those homesick moments get to be too strong, they can comfort us and let us know that everything will be ok. As our father, God longs to come get us early and wrap his arms around us, but he knows our brothers and sisters in Christ are with us and will take good care of us.

That anaolgy may be oversimplified, but it brought me comfort and I hope it does you as well.

Shimmer

I have pretty much always been a fan of hard rock. But my affinity for a certain unnamed TV show has caused me to listen to some lighter music and some artists I may not have never listened to. One of those artists is Shawn Mullins. I don't know what it is about his music that captivates me. I just can't stop listening.

One of his songs that really touches me is "Shimmer." I'm not sure why, but every time I hear it I get teary. I guess it reminds me of how innocent we are when we are born, and the many things we come in contact with as we grow that take our innocence away.

The last verse is what really gets to me. I know my innocence is gone and I know this world is desperately trying to pull me down even further. But greater than the worlds desire, is God's desire for me to shine. Check out the lyrics:

Sharing with us what he knows
shining eyes are big and blue
and all around him water flows
this world to him is new
this world to him is new

he´s born to shimmer,he´s born to shine
he´s born to radiate
he´s born to live,he´s born to love
but we will teach him how to hate

and this thing they call our time
heard a brilliant woman say
she said you know it´s crazy
how I want to try to capture mine
I think I love this woman´s way
I think I love this woman´s

way she shimmers,the way she shines
the way she radiates
the way she lives,the way she loves
the way she never hates

sometimes I think of all this that can surround me
I know it all as being mine
but she kisses me and she wraps her love around me
she gives me love,she gives me time
and I feel fine

but time I cannot change
so here´s to looking back
you know I drink a whole bottle of my pride
and I toast to change
to keep these demons off my back
just get these demons off my back

Cause I want to shimmer, I want to shine
I want to radiate
I want to live,I want to love
I want to try to learn not to hate
try not to hate
we´re born to shimmer,
we´re born to shine,
we´re born to radiate,
we´re born to live,we´re born to love
we´re born to never hate

We were born to shine! I love that line. I think Jesus would agree. I know he would because he said it long before Shawn did. "Let your light so shine before men..." He said it even bolder in Luke 11 when he said, "See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you."

Here's a simple question for you: What have you done this week that "Shimmered?"

If you have never heard the song, here is a link for the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJsrz4NQr18

Fatherhood

The other day at our church rummage sale, I saw a book called “Fatherhood” by Bill Cosby. I have a copy of the book in my office and began skimming through it. I would like to share with you two observations that Cosby makes about fathers.

He writes: “Now that my father is a grandfather, he just can’t wait to give money to my kids. But when I was his kid and I asked him for fifty cents, he would tell me the story of his life; how he got up at 4 A.M. when he was seven years old and walked twenty-three miles to milk ninety cows. And the farmer for whom he worked had no bucket, so he had to squirt the milk into his little hand and then walk eight miles to the nearest can; all for 5 cents a month. The result was that I never got my 50 cents. But now he tells my children every time he comes into the house, “Well, let’s see how much money old Granddad has got for his wonderful kids." And the minute they take money out of his hands, I call them over to me and I snatch it away from them. Because that is MY money!”

The other story Cosby tells is the difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. He insists that “Mother’s Day is a much bigger deal because Mothers are more organized. Mothers say to their children, “Now here is a list of what I want. Go get the money from your father and you surprise me on Mother’s Day. You do that for me.” For Father’s Day I give each of my five kids $20, so that they can go out and by me a present--a total of $100. They go to the store and buy two packages of underwear, each of which costs $5 and contains three shorts. They tear them open and each kid wraps up one pair, the sixth pair of underwear going to the Salvation Army. Therefore, on Father’s Day I am walking around with new underwear and my kids are walking around with $90 worth of my change in their pockets.”

Stories of fatherhood make us laugh. But the fact is, the role of “fatherhood” has been cheapened and overlooked by society. Most fathers you see on sitcoms are dimwitted and easily outsmarted by their kids. In the last few years there has been a trend among celebrity women to adopt children when they are not married, and the children will have no father. As if fatherhood is optional.

Fatherhood is not optional. Fathers, your children need you! And children, you need your fathers. No, we may not buy the some amount of gifts for our fathers as we do our mothers, (Cosby also said, “Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap on-a-rope.”) but this does not cheapen their role. Consider words even wiser than Mr. Cosby’s: “Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. (Proverbs 4:1)”

No Rest for the Weary

I’m sleepy today. Our neighbors have a dog that LOVES to bark until after midnight, and the crows begin their screeching at about 5:00 a.m. When you sleep with the windows open, this presents a bit of a problem.

I’m sure I am not the only one out there who is falls asleep at their desk from time to time. Of course, as a minister, I have a built in excuse: “I was praying.” (I know – that’s bad.) But to those of you who don’t have the built in excuse, here are some great excuses if your boss catches you asleep at your desk:
• They told me at the blood bank that this might happen.
• This is just a 15-minute power nap like they raved about in that time management course you sent me to.
• I was working smarter - not harder.
• Whew! I must have left the top off my sharpie.
• I wasn’t sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm!
• This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people!
• I was testing the keyboard for drool resistance.
• I’m in the management training program.
• I’m actually doing a Stress Level Elimination Exercise Plan (SLEEP).
• This is in exchange for the six hours last night when I dreamed about work!
• The coffee machine is broken.
• Someone must have put decaf in the wrong pot.
• Boy, that cold medicine I took last night just won’t wear off.
• Ah, the unique and unpredictable circadian rhythms of the workaholic!
• The mail courier flipped out and pulled a gun so I was playing dead to avoid getting shot.

What’s the point of all this? Our bodies need rest. God created the Sabbath for us to rest. Jesus said "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.(Mark 2:27)” In other words, God in his infinite wisdom knew we would need rest. I know we do not observe the Sabbath as Christians, but I believe the spirit of the Sabbath remains.

We need to take care of ourselves and not get so caught up in work and other things that we never rest. The wise words of Solomon would be good for us to remember: “What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. (Eccl. 2:22-24)”

A "Magical" Cure

I am a huge Orlando Magic Basketball fan. Of course I am a little down because of the result of last nights game, but I am also encouraged by a story my Mom told me about yesterday. According to abcnews.com, 4 year old Ryan Rodriguez, who suffered from an anxiety disorder called selective mutism, had never spoken more than a word or two. But that changed one night when Ryan caught a Magic game on television and started pointing, and saying "Me, me, play, play."

As a father, Izzy Rodriguez said he would do whatever to took to get his son to talk. So instead of paying the house payment, he payed $641 dollars for two premium seats to a Magic game. He says his son talked the whole time, the whole way home, and is still talking up a storm.

When Magic executives heard about Ryan, they gave he and his father tickets to every remaining playoff game, including the finals. Ryan's speech ability has continued to grow with each game.

This got me to thinking; I wonder how many speech therapists would have said, "If you take him to a Basketball game, he will be cured." Not likely. Yet whenever we face struggles in life or in our faith, we tend to go to the same supposed "cures."

Sometimes, we need to think outside of the box. Not that we need to give up on proven methods of dealing with life's challenges, but sometimes we need to take risks. Many fathers would have heard those words from little Ryan and said, "He talked a little, were getting somewhere, call the therapist." But Izzy wanted to know how far it could get so he took the risk and it paid off.

The moral of the story: Be willing to go outside of the box and take risks as you fight life's battles! And oh yea, Go Magic!!!

To read more or watch a video about Ryan, here are a couple of links.


http://abcnews.go.com/US/Story?id=7753723&page=1

http://www.wftv.com/video/19657779/index.html

Holiness By Grace

I guess I am one of these guys who likes many things that the mainstream does not like, and doesn't like many things that the mainstream seems to embrace. This is especially true with books.

You will not catch me reading a Harry Potter or Twilight book. Not because I think they are inherently "evil," I just have better things to do with my time than read a 7000 page book! I mostly read for information, but one subject I love to read about is Grace.

One of the best books I have read on the subject is "Holiness By Grace" by Bryan Chapell. The book came out about 10 years ago and didn't seem to create much of a buzz. Most of the time when I mention it, people have never heard of it. I looked on Amazon and saw that it has been reprinted recently. I highly recommend you read it.

One of the most memorable parts of the book is when he relates Christ’s parable in Luke 17:7-10 to a modern day scenario.

Luke 17:7‑10 - "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'

Chapell compares this to a restaurant experience. Your waitress might give you the best service you have ever had but if she came and sat down at the table when she was done, you would question her. “Well, I did a good job serving you, so now I’m a part of your family.” That simply wouldn't fly would it? Service no more makes you a part of the family that buying your way in. The only way an outsider can become a part of a family is through invitation. God, through His grace, has invited us to be a part of His family. It is an invitation only affair.

I guess grace is a difficult concept to grasp because of our “humanness.” There are conditions on everything! Everything has fine print at the bottom. Even a relationship between man and wife has conditions. We call it unconditional, but in reality if you have an affair... The only relationship without fine print is the one with God. It’s not about us and our goodness, it’s all about God an his goodness. (Thank goodness!)

Another phrase in the book that jumped off of the page and smacked me in the face was this: "God is not moved by our works." WOW! Not that God does not expect us to serve him, but our works do not make us holy.

Hebrews 10:9-11 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

God makes us holy by his grace. When we put our obedient faith in Jesus Christ, God takes our sinful lives and says "you're holy."

Does that mean we just sit comfortably in the "easy chair"of Christianity? Paul would respond by saying "God forbid." When we recognize the gift we have been given, the gift of holiness made possible by the grace of God, we strive to please him. We do not sit comfortably in the "easy chair" of Christianity, rather, we rest safely in the arms of Jesus. Can you think of anything that is a better motivation that that?

Buy the book. I think I'll read it again!

My First Blog

Well, I never considered myself a "blogger." I have actually said that I wouldn't, but here I am. (Much like the time in 2003 I said I would never own a cell phone. - No I did not join the cellphone generation until 2004) People have encouraged me to start a blog. I guess the reason I have resisted is because I wonder if my ramblings are worth reading.

I mean, no offense to other bloggers out there, but I have read some stuff that just made me wonder, "Should blogs be available to everybody?" I am reminded of the wise words of Solomon in Proverbs 17:27-28:

27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue.

I pray that I will, unlike some, use words with restraint. But I also hope that my thoughts and ponderings will be helpful and interesting, and hopefully bring people closer to God. And so the journey begins...