Where You're Coming From

It has seemingly always been my fortunate circumstance to have been in churches where "recovery" (though we didn't always call it that) was a theme. Many people had a story of finding Jesus that was fairly dramatic and emotionally persuasive. Recovery from drugs, sexual exploits or other life abuse was a common occurrence to my recollection and I was always compelled by how moving these stories of life-recovery were.

Early in my college career, I remember one particular person "recovering" from significant life abuse and finding "new life" in Jesus with whom I became particularly close. We grew beyond typical casual acquaintance and conversations to begin sharing some of the "secrets" both of and to living life. I was always impressed with how clarified his story was and how emotionally compelling I found it. I was frequently moved to hear of how God had "saved him" from his own selfish destruction and I sometimes felt my own story was a bit "flat" and, honestly, a bit boring.

One day I confessed to him how I wished that the story of my own faith journey was as emotionally compelling, dramatic and as convincing as his. It was then that he shared something that has stayed with me through the decades. He said, "You are so fortunate... you've been in church since you were six weeks old. You had parents that not only taught you how to pray, but also listened to you pray. Your meals were family occasions where people shared life and love. You had a community of faith who looked out for you and cared if you knew Christ or not. You had Christian friends who walked in faith with you and picked you up when you fell down. And do you know what? From my point of view, that is an amazing testimony and I'd would trade for that story in an instant!" I was shocked at the persuasion of my own story as it came from the mouth of someone else and realized the reality of things really came down to a matter of perspective.

While lamenting my own lack of "dramatic testimony," this relatively new follower of Christ caused me to realize where I was coming from also "had some teeth" as well. It is an amazing thing when people are fortunate enough to find Jesus at a very young age. That day I came to know that we all have a story and it doesn't have to be a "Hollywood drama" to have validity and power. I guess it just depends on where you're coming from.

Sadly and regretfully, since that time so many years ago, I've managed to add some drama to my own faith adventure that I'd rather take back and "do over again" if I had the opportunity. In my own form of spiritual "recovery" I see God taking my mistakes and failures and making some Good News out of it through the grace of Christ and I can how see how my scars are being a blessing to the life of others. But the roots of my story still speak as well and if not for others, it still speaks a powerful testimony for my own life. I have been very fortunate and so richly blessed.

I guess it just depends on where you're coming from.

So where are you coming from? What is your story? The longer I live, the more I realize every story is amazing in itself and God's love is an amazing thing as well.

Trim the Wick

At what point candles moved from the center stage as light source to the center stage of affective aesthetics, I don't know but either way I am all about having candles in my world. You will find them in my office (both at home and on the church campus) in the bath, in the kitchen, in the bedroom. I buy them for my wife, I buy them for friends, I have several "stored" around just because you can't beat a good candle! There is just something "cool" and yet "warm" at the same time about them. Candles make my world just a little bit nicer (Currently burning: Candy Corn combined with French Vanilla. Yeah... my office smells like a bakery and I'm getting hungry!).

Like the old song lyric "I was country, when country wasn't cool" I feel like I was "into candles before candles were cool." I have burned candles since I was a kid. When I was young, I'd make my own candles with the guys across the street. We bought white wax and then melted Crayola Crayons to make the colors. We made "sand candles" and all kinds of cool things and thankfully, we never burned a house down. When I was a teen, I would light my candles and play guitar in the dim candle light for hours (yes... I had some "hippie" in me and I guess I still do).

Now, candles are all the rage! I have five acquaintances (no exaggeration here) who are in the candle business in some form or fashion. Two of those people run full-blown (pardon the pun) candle stores (full-time) and two others run their business out of the home on a part-time basis. That will explain just how popular candles have become in the public marketplace in the last few years. It is amazing, really. I have even thought about getting into the game myself if for no other reason than to simply save money on my own candles!

It is likely that I have a candle burning in my life (if I am stationary long enough) on any given day. There is just something peaceful about them. The warmth, the aroma, the light... it is a fairly compelling experience, really. Calming, serene, placid... somehow they tend to help keep me "grounded" in the midst of an otherwise chaotic existence.

The other day I lit a candle in my office and from a relatively small candle came a rather significant flame. Reaching well above the rim of the glass jar, I expected it to "adjust itself" in a matter of a few seconds. But it didn't. The flame just kept raging like some kind of towering inferno! Making a loud "pop" a couple of times gave me enough pause that it might become a hazard (as if a concealed flame is ever NOT a potential hazard -- the outer core (blue color) of a candle flame burns at approximately 2550 degrees Fahrenheit -- that's hot!!! And if you don't think candles are important, even NASA has studied the effects of weightlessness on open candle flames -- insert the collective audio "ooo-ahh" here).

As the flame rose to about 4 inches above the candle surface, I finally blew it out. Looking into the now blackened candle jar, it was then I realized how tall the wick was and how much "fuel" had gathered into to top of it (someone should write a book on "candleology" for there is much to know about candle maintenance and how to get the most life and efficiency out of your candles). The wick had grown too tall and wasn't managing the fuel available to it in the most efficient manner. So, it was time to "trim the wick."

True to my candle-lover status, I used one of my "uber-cool" 90 degree angled wick trimmers and within a few seconds had the wick and subsequent flame back under control and burning at optimum efficiency (trim to 1/4 inch with about a 45 degree angle in the wick -- it works well) and it got me thinking about how many times God has to effectively "trim my wick."

With so much busyness in my life, sometimes I feel like I'm running "Mach II with my hair on fire." Like a candle out of control, I'm giving off a big flame and putting out a mess of heat, but it may not be terribly efficient and might be smoking up the sides of the glass! Under those conditions, I recognize that I tend to "flame out" in short order and wonder why I don't feel fulfilled in my life.

My experience is that God is a gracious and merciful "wick trimmer." If you submit to His care, He will trim you into an efficient flame that will work in a way that may be more efficient than you could imagine and may just give off some pleasing aromas as well.

Is it time to ask God to "trim your wick" before you flame out?

"You are the light of the world... let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Matt. 5:13, 16


"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved
and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other,
the fragrance of life."
2 Cor. 2:15-16

Power of Rising

Yesterday was an amazing day for my home church. In a span of time covering four separate worship services, over 1,800 people came together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. The singing was great, the sermon was great, the brunch buffet and fellowship was great, all the kids hunting for over 8,000 Easter eggs was great... but there was something more.

Having been in ministry for a long time and attended and led more Easter worship services than I can remember, but yesterday brought a new quality for me. It was something deep within my spirit -- a longing that was touched in a new way. Could it be the power of rising?

The apostle Paul once wrote, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death..." (Phil. 3:10). Having read that passage thousands of times, preached or taught it hundreds of times, I'm beginning to wonder if I've ever really understood what Paul meant when he wrote it. Have I ever really been close to that power, the power that takes Jesus out of the grave? What would it be like to somehow live in that power on a daily basis. Could this have been what Paul was seeking? I hear him differently know. I hear his "wanting" in a way I haven't before.

To live life under the restriction of merely human power is so limited. Even those who claim to know Christ and believe in him as the Risen Savior try to live life and fight sinful tendency with human power. We pursue righteousness with human will, rather than accessing the spiritual power that brought Christ from the grave. There must be a deeper power that does not come from within, but comes from "beyond" and makes us the people of the resurrection. As the same author said to the Christians in Corinth, "if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men" (1 Cor. 15:19).

Yesterday, something deeply touched me. It didn't come from a specific spoken word, or song or prayer. It was more a sense of "being" -- an awareness that something (or Someone) was so near and so powerful that I actually could feel Him near. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if perhaps I was getting just a little bit closer to what Paul was writing about. Like Paul, I want to know it and share in it, so that I might become something (or someone) more than I have been.

I want to know Christ and the power of rising...

Laughter and Good Company

Today is Thursday a day many reference as Holy Thursday. It is the day before Good Friday, the day of Christ's crucifixion. What (theologically speaking) is a sullen point in the week, has most Christ-followers thinking about the incredible sacrifice the Christ made for those the Father loves. In the following 24 hours, the Savior of the world will be betrayed, sold out, denied, scorned, beaten, mocked, crucified, run-through with a spear, buried and left for dead (permanently). From a spiritual point of view, it is a day of reverent preparation for what could have been a very dark day for humanity. Yes, today may be Holy Thursday, but as the old preacher once said, "It's Friday, but Sunday's a comin'!"

There is inherent joy, hope and even laughter because of the resurrection of Jesus. The "old has gone, the new has come" and we have been brought "from death to life" all because Jesus Christ rose from the dead! This is the biggest event in the Christian calendar and we are right and proper for making a "big deal" out of it! Without Easter Sunday, the other Sundays of the year just wouldn't make much sense (other than maybe sleeping in, mowing lawns or playing golf)! But because Christ rose from the grave on this coming Sunday... everything changes!

For those who perhaps have never worked in a church or been around the planning of Easter, it is likely the most hectic time of the year for those in full-time (paid) ministry. Attendance is significantly higher at Easter services than at any other time of the year (save Christmas) and the stress to "do things right" can loom large for any church ministry team. Considering church attendance for some is restricted to this day and maybe Christmas, putting the best expression of the resurrection of Christ and of the community of faith before all in attendance is priority one!

This year, our church is moving from our usual 2 service format to 4 services! We are serving brunch for all those who attend, offering two enormous Easter Egg Hunts for our children and their friends and all of this in the middle of a huge remodeling of our current facility. Especially with so many variables and things to consider, it can be a long stint getting ready to celebrate Resurrection Sunday (though technically Christ-followers celebrate the resurrection every Sunday of the year).

Today, our third floor offices were "humming" with activity. Every minister and staff member were busy taking care of all their assigned responsibilities and concerns. Even decisions that had been made earlier in the week were being "undone" and "reordered" at the last minute to get things "just right." But amid all that chaos and possible stress, this week I have heard more laughter and joy from the team with whom I am blessed to serve that I hear during most weeks. It is almost as if, in the midst of our busiest week, we have even more joy. Could it be that tomorrow really is "Friday, but Sunday's a comin'?" Somehow, I think that has something to do with it.

I am privileged to work with an absolutely incredible (no exaggeration, here) group of people. Talented, creative, hard-working and fun loving, it is a sad thing that more people are not as blessed to work with the caliber of people with whom I am blessed to serve. At times I must confess, I even feel guilty because I know other ministers who "kill themselves" (almost literally) in churches much different from the one in which I serve. Why am I so blessed to work with these great people? I can't fully answer that, but I can tell you why our team is so great. It is because each person consciously lives resurrection!

At the most stressful and busiest time of the year, our team is focused on the fact that we "can do all things through Christ who gives us strength" and we live it out together, in authentic community of faith and service.

So we laugh and enjoy each other's good company during the most demanding week of the year, because Jesus Christ is ALIVE and well and it is only a matter of our Father's time before Christ will return and take us home to be with Him forever, where there will be no tears and joy will know no end. Praise be to God for the power of the resurrection of Christ!

Happy Easter to all who believe!

Spring of Life

Having lived most of my years either in a climate that is perpetually green (southern California) or perpetually "brown" (central Arizona), living in the dynamic climate of northern Texas has brought new appreciation for the regenerative quality of nature.

Following winter's chill and resultant tan (dormant) grass, grey-barked leafless trees and bloomless flowers, it is a fascination of nature to "watch the world come back to life" (even at the expense of an over abundance of weeds). The grasses are green, the trees are leafing and the bluebonnets have sprung to life in a magnificent array of color in random patches across the landscape. Hope springs to life -- what once was a colorless void is now full of brilliance and beauty. Birds have returned to nesting, insects are doing whatever insects do (just try and guess how many mosquito bites I have from last night's softball games) and things just seem... "better."

This week is an amazing week in the Christian calendar. The week leading up to Resurrection Sunday is a week of transformative power transcending space and time. The days leading to the Cross were like the usherance of winter... a slowing down towards what appeared to be permanent dormancy. At the Cross, it was as if the world and time stood still. All the followers of Christ seemed to fall away like the last leafs of a great Red Oak until there were only three remaining at the foot of the Cross. Was all lost? It appeared as much, but then Sunday came!

With a rush of power beyond that which anyone can imagine, life broke forth from the grave and True Life was made abundant to all who believe. Beauty came forth as does life from all the bare dryness and dormancy of the soul's winter and burst forth into new life -- the old has gone, the new has come! It was the Spring of Life that reigns forever more!

Synergy

Tomorrow morning, my older daughter cast as the female lead, will compete in her first UIL competitive drama one-act stage performance. The excitement around the house tonight is noticeable in the cadence of conversation and there is much energy for tomorrow might bring.

While we are beginning to grow accustomed to seeing her on stage (this is her fourth stage production this year), the thing I am finding most exciting for her is her experiencing the power of people working together.

Coming home from rehearsal the other night she was beside herself with excitement at the "synergy" she had experienced with her fellow cast members. While the other productions have been good, this one, because of the relatively small number of cast members and the intensity of rehearsals, has really bonded the cast and built an impressive amount of cohesion as a performing unit. Following rehearsal the other night, I think my daughter was surprised by how powerful synergy can be.

By definition, synergy (or synergism) (from the Greek synergos, συνεργός meaning "working together") refers to the phenomenon in which two or more discrete influences or agents acting together create an effect greater than that predicted by knowing only the separate effects of the individual agents. It is originally a scientific term.

Even in her struggling to find words to describe what she experienced, I shared with her a few times I have experienced the same thing. Performing with various music groups, creative teams and ministry experiences, I have been privileged to experience "synergy" with some frequency.

Today, several on our ministry team met to consider a new way of fulfilling our ministry at the church we serve. Utilizing a collaborative creative plan, we are considering how several people can be utilized to speak into the "game plan" and develop the creative "look" of the curriculum, lessons and sermons, rather than simply working in relative isolation (what we have referred to as "silo work"). Today became a highly synergistic environment and we haven't even started. That kind of experience gives me an incredible amount of energy. I'm very hopeful we will adopt this method of creative design.

I'm curious, what experiences you've had with synergy?

While I love the power of music and the solace that comes with making music alone and while I love ministry and seeing God do things way "beyond the human realm," when teaching or preaching, the thing I love the most about either one of those ventures is synergy -- getting to work with others doing some of the things I love. When God brings "discrete agents" together in proximity to accomplish His plans... there is nothing better than that!

As my daughter has experienced for the first time, and hopefully not the last, I hope to share many more experiences with her and continue to testify to God's amazing creative power!

Slowing Down

Undeniably speed (as in velocity, not narcotic) is one of my favorite things. The sensation of going fast in virtually any form has an addictive quality for me that it might as well be narcotic. There is something about feeling my body moving against gravity and air that makes me never feel like fast is fast enough.

I suppose the fastest I've ever gone is in an airplane, but the trouble with that is in a pressurized tube at 35,000 feet in the air, there are not enough significant points of reference to appreciate the speeds in excess of 350 mph. The ground is visually too far away, the air is locked away (for obvious reasons -- you can't exactly stick your arm out the window like you did as a little kid in the car with your Dad driving and feel the wind against it) and "fast" just never really feels "fast" unless you're on take-off or approaching landing.

I have many memories of speed experiences of which I'll reserve the actual speeds for some of those occasions on the grounds it might incriminate me. But... 58 mph on a racing bicycle in the peleton while descending a mountain pass during a particular road race in central California was a thrill. That kind of speed on such narrow race tires is exhilarating. With nothing between you and the pavement but Lycra shorts and an "egg carton" on your head, the thrill is in what you don't want to happen as much as what is happening!

Sliding down the face of 12 to 15 foot waves on a "big" day on a southern California shore break was memorable speed, though I would have no idea how fast I was going, but it felt fast to be sure. Skateboarding down a long hill seemed really fast, but again, speed is somewhat relative to the conditions. There have been some amusement park rides that have good speed to them, but they typically don't last long enough. Many years ago on Lake Havasu in a friend's super-charged 21 foot Miller ski boat we went fast... maybe 80 mph on the water ... that may not seem fast to you, but speed always feels faster on water than on land. And then there are the numerous car and motorcycle experiences... suffice to say, fast is "fast" (here is the potentially incriminating part, so we'll just leave it at that) and if there are legal limits to speed, there are also mechanical limits as well.

As I grow older and hopefully a bit wiser, I now don't take the chances (both legally or physically) I once did when it comes to speed, but I can't recall ever being truly afraid of speed. I have a friend who is a fellow motorcyclist and while he loves motorcycling, he doesn't care much for speed. He has a "limit" that he just doesn't cross. I'm wondering, if given all the necessary safety precautions, there is a speed for me that would be too fast? I've often thought given the chance, I'd be a candidate to set a land speed record because speed just doesn't bother me. Where my friend says he just "disconnects" with speed, I'm just beginning to get plugged in.

Lest I leave the impression that I'm either reckless or irresponsible, I might inform you that the only speeding ticket I've ever received was last year going 25 mph in a 20 mph school zone that I didn't even know I was in! In fact, at the time, I was proud of myself for thinking I was actually driving 5 mph UNDER the speed limit! Well, "pride goeth before the fall."

The one place I'm finding speed to not be so exhilarating is in the pace of life. Right now things are happening very quickly around me and, more than ever in my life, I'm finding the need to slow down almost to a stop. Speed is addictive and running high speeds at the pace of life, there is a "limit" where we can just be going too fast.

Yesterday, I took some time to simply sit and be quiet. I wasn't praying, I wasn't meditating, I wasn't reading Scripture... I just slowed down and "idled" for a while. I listened to the late morning silence of the wonderful neighborhood in which I live. I heard the birds, felt the slow gentle breeze against my skin, watched the trees sway against the push and pull of nature and felt a nearly forgotten rush of simply being still...

"Be still, and know that I am God"
Ps. 46:10

If you are moving too fast, don't forget to slow down occasionally.

Attuned

Call me weird (I'm sure many people do), but I have fantasies about spiritual stuff. Nothing way out of the ordinary in one regard (like I don't imagine what it might be like to levitate or enter another creatures body or anything of that nature), but I do have curiosities about things like what walks through a forest with Jesus might be like, or what experiencing a miracle like the feeding of thousands would do for my courage or what it would be like to hear God's voice as if I had my own set of divine headphones (now there is a headphone Bose might invent that I'd be willing to spend a few hundred dollars on). Those kinds of fantasies could occupy much of my thought if I allowed it.

One of my spiritual fantasies is to have an entire day fully scripted by the Creator from beginning to end. Imagine what it would be like to awaken to the Father's voice instead of that clock radio! Mine is set on a Christian radio station and on one occasion a verse from the Bible was being read when the alarm went off and I thought that was cool. I instantly began that day with God's word on my mind. But, what if it was God's voice that opened your day, every day? Would the snooze button have the same appeal if it were God blessing you awake, instead of the local report of weather, road closures and traffic tie-ups?

And what if after your shower, Jesus would arrive (already pure and holy) and you and the Lord sat down together and went through the day's schedule? God would have the day perfectly timed for maximum efficiency and productivity. Wouldn't it be great to have a Holy Spirit "secretary" leading through each appointment and obligation? Though I want to imagine this and more, I find it difficult to dream of how much I'd get done in a day if God were in totally charge of my schedule. How wonderful would that be?

How persuasive do you think you could be in that negotiations meeting if Jesus quietly spoke into your ear every time you needed a response to the other person's comment. Imagine having the foreknowledge and prompting of One who knows what the other person will say even before they know! Before a single word was on their lips, you would not only know what the word would be, but you would also discern the motive behind it. Wouldn't that be great? People would think you were so wise or shrewd and yet you would know where the prompt originated, wouldn't you? It would be difficult to take any credit or receive a compliment in the matter because you would know it was something quite beyond you making it happen.

Solutions today for tomorrow's problems wouldn't be an issue either because God's wisdom would preclude every decision. God would be advising what action now will yield the greatest outcome over time. It would be an amazing working relationship, wouldn't it? There is no telling how productive that day would be, the effects of which might last for years and years.

At the close of the day, it would be fun just to stop and simply reminisce together about all the things you'd accomplished. To marvel at the productivity, to laugh at the way all things worked together for good, to share in all the relational victories would be a great way to end the day, don't you think?

Yes, that is quite a fantasy I must confess. But I must also admit I believe the distance between spiritual fantasy and spiritual reality is often separated by only a very thin line. It is a line of faith and discipline that we are sometimes too weak and often too afraid to cross. The problem is never with God's ability to deliver, but in our inability to receive it.

What spiritual fantasy might you imagine? Would your dream be for God's glory or for your own reward? Would it allow you to become less of yourself and more of what He wants you to be? Do you believe given the opportunity, you would have the faith to live your spiritual fantasy out?

How attuned to God do you really want to be? How many of your spiritual fantasies are only a thin line from becoming a spiritual reality?

Anticipation

I spent a nice afternoon on the golf course today with one of my closest friends. A "third" joined us and it was an interesting experience really. Inviting himself to play with us did seem to be beyond him as he dropped atomic hints to the effect before the first tee.

I'll admit, playing with someone else simply wasn't high on my priority list today. In fact, I'll confess I was being a bit selfish and just didn't want him to tag along. But my friend, ever the hospitable Southern gentlemen, invited the "single" (both literal and in golf terminologies) to play along with us. So consequently "Moe" (not his real name) was riding solo in the "lonely cart."

All three of us hitting strong down the middle off the first tee was a great experience though I could tell instantly that "Moe the Single" was going to be an interesting character. Golfers know the tactics of a golf snob who is just insecure enough with his game as to be completely obnoxious in his golf etiquette and demeanor (all golfers have admittedly "been there and done that") and Moe was certainly no exception. If his game was "off" today, it certainly wasn't going to speak for itself... he would do the talking for it!

After all of us hitting good drives off the first tee (which always sets the tone for a good round as recovering an entire round from even a lousy first tee shot is at times seemingly impossible) there was a general sense of anticipation in the air. I had not picked up a golf club in something like five months and was happy to simply be on a course and hitting to where I could still see the ball! Woo-hoo... call my day a victory already!

Now, without even the benefit of one practice shot on the range, finding myself "safe and in play" on the first swing only set a great mental stage for my round. I was loose, relaxed and having fun. There is just something about merely being on the course that sets everything "right" in the mind of a golfer, especially if he hasn't played in some time. Sometimes it takes years to get to that mental place, but once arrived, the mental view from that vista is blissful and it is a meaningful destination from which one never wants to depart (yes, there is likely some form of "Zen" in there somewhere).

Play was consistent and steady through the first couple of holes and then Moe blew a shot off the third tee -- dribbling barely past the ladies' tee. As if scripted well in advance like an actor on book, out came the first in a litany of excuses and the "I'm just not having a good round" commentary. Clearly Moe's intention was to passively let my friend and I know he was a much "better" golfer than today's round would surely indicate. He seemed to go to painstaking lengths to inform us by the way and frankly, I didn't much care... I just wanted to enjoy a few golf shots and some time out with my friend. Funny how one can play better golf when the anticipation is merely to relax and have a good time. The more golfers anticipate good play (especially as hack amateurs such as we are) it seems the worse the result! This was certainly the case for our new companion Moe! "Visualize the shot... be the shot...take the shot...curse the shot..." was pretty much Moe's M.O.

Ten years divorced (we found this out on the 11th tee) and showing signs of significant loneliness in his life, Moe must have been well experienced and quite comfortable in the fine art of "self talk" because he did a considerable amount of it. All day long, he would just come "off the wall" with some of the most random comments either about his game, his health or his financial situation. I'm thinking if money is a real issue here, perhaps golf is not the wisest of investments? Nonetheless, I began to feel quite sorry of the guy, but his social demeanor was so offset and apparently even volatile at times (my friend and I concluded "anger issues" by the 15th tee) he seemed unapproachable to me and I was still trying to preserve my "good time" outing.

Lest we miss the point here... I anticipated merely a good time with my friend and a nice day on the golf course. I got both and for not having played in over five months, I was pleased with my score. I can only assume Moe clearly anticipated shooting the "round of his life" and I'm fairly confident he fell, well, considerably short of his goal. That for which he anticipated was not to be realized today. I'm thinking he drove home in less than a good mood which is pretty sorry for a lonely guy. I wonder if he anticipated that before he left? It might have been a better day had he simply stayed home.

Oh... and while we're considering anticipation... on the ninth fairway, several kids stood next to a back yard pool soaked to the bone and shivering with towels draped around them in the low 60 degree wind-chilled weather. Though it is still a little early to be frolicking in a non-heated swimming pool, these kids were clearly proclaiming their anticipation of Summer's arrival. I loved it! Only a child has the intestinal drive to "will in the new season" by diving into a chilly North Texas pool of water in the middle of March! Ah, the power of anticipation is a glorious thing! It can bring joy and wonderful times, or simply fill your day with sadness and frustration.

So I'm a bit curious... what are you anticipating today and how does that anticipation influence your current disposition?

FORE!!!

Watching Them Watch Him

They had no clue they were being watched. Its not that I was all that stealth in my observations, its just that at their age they are largely oblivious to any attention being given them that doesn't directly result in some form of recognition or aggrandizement. Most boys in their early teens come by it honestly, however. I know I certainly did and the residue lasted well beyond my teen years.

They congregated at the gym before he arrived. Arriving in pairs, with one solitary young man showing up on his own, it was apparent they were waiting for something or someone. Totalling five in number, they were an apparently good looking bunch of guys (on this, I'm not certain as my teenage daughters often inform me I have largely divergent opinions from theirs as to who is "hot" and who is "not"). Some teen girls seemed to notice them even before I did so I'm guessing they were closer to "hot" that I would have given them credit for.

Half way through my lat pull-downs, one young man started clapping his hands together very slowly. His gaze clearly fixed on someone beyond me and to my back, I didn't turn around until another teen joined in the disruptive rhythmic cadence. Suddenly all five boys were standing and clapping loudly, increasing in tempo with each beat. What began quietly was now a nearly deafening applause filling the entire space of the gym. Then I saw him. A good-looking guy (much closer to my own generation therefore lending credibility to my own judgement, I suppose) in his early 30's if I were to estimate.

Hugging each teen with some kind of a preestablished routine: hug with the right fist clenched, bang the other guy's back three times and then while backing away from each other, lift your right fist, palm forward and right elbow at 90 degrees straight toward the roof, the new arrival greeted each boy intentionally. Every one of them knew the routine and not a single one missed a beat. It was clearly male bonding at its core.

It was then I noticed a couple T-shirts and silk screened images on the teens. Not a single shirt the same, though several included verses of Scripture or Christian symbolism. In an instant, I realized I was looking at myself from a decade or more before. This moment was in the present, but the reflection in life's mirror was me and a crew of "my boys" from my era in youth ministry. Fond memories swept over me and a short prayer of thanksgiving for a time and gone by was on my lips. Those were very special times for me and my crew.

Two more sets on the lat pull-down machine and I was on my way to working biceps. Not my most favorite muscle group to work to be sure, so it was nice to have something (or someone) to serve as a bit of distraction.

Obvious to me now, I was watching a youth minister hang out with some of his boys. I watched with a different view and a more informed eye. So many familiar things came back to me. The banter, the good natured kidding, the masculine one-upsmanship... this was most definitely a youth minister working out with some of his more athletic boys during their spring break. There was no doubt about it!

Then I saw a glimpse of something I'd never witnessed before from this vantage point. I caught those young teenage men in the very act and I was sobered to the very core of my being. I began watching how they watched him. The youth minister likely didn't even have the awareness or the distance of space and time to catch a glimpse of it, but I saw it as clear as day and felt the weight of it as much as the 60 lb curling bar I was lifting for my fourth and final set. These teens hung on every word this guy spoke and watched his every move.

In less obvious ways, they were modeling him. Standing around him, listening to his stories, hanging even onto his vocal inflection, the degree of respect and honor these young men have for their spiritual leader was bold as life itself.

I had to resist from approaching the honored leader and saying something -- simply calling his attention to it would have been fairly presumptuous on my part and may simply have indicated something he already knew. So my resolve was to rather pray that God protect this leader's integrity and increase the power of his positive influence in the life of these students and the others in his care.

i had a view into the power of leadership and the magnitude of God working through a human soul. It was then that I also realized the power of the Cross in a life surrendered to it. As others watch a Christ-follower they will be watching them, watching Him, the Christ, and that is something amazing to see.

What influence of the Cross have you recently seen in someone's life?

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ"
(1 Cor. 11:1)

Goodness

This week in my faith walk has been filled with clarity on just how truly good God is. Taking what appears in the moment to be a really bad circumstance and routing it for the good is one of the things I love most about watching God be God.

When one feels as if they are at the end of their rope, there is a deliverance for those who trust in the power of the Creator to recreate life in the midst of dire circumstances. It is a divine equation factoring what is at times the worst of humanity with the absolute best in Divine Goodness resulting in something beyond human comprehension. Goodness of this sort is so, I don't know, incredibly "good."

"How can anything good come from this?" is the anthem of the distressed. "I can't believe things could be this good!" is the song of the redeemed.

If you've not taken notice yet this week, look around your own life and in the lives of other people around you and notice the goodness of the One who is Good. God is working all around us and it is fascinating and faith building to watch God be God for I've come to know God is Good, all the time!

What have you seen this week?

Simply Amazing

One of the things that has always drawn me to adventure sports is the opportunity to experience something amazing. Sliding down the face of a big wave, skiing the top of the mountain, racing bicycles, riding motorcycles, climbing sand dunes in dune buggies, skin diving, white-water rafting class 5 rapids, etc. all have the opportunity to amaze. I've always been something of an adventure junkie (within reason and finances) and have had my share of great experiences and hope to have even more. I'm guessing a parachute jump is in my future before I hit the half-century mark.

One of the things that has always drawn me to faith is the opportunity to experience something amazing. The power of God's ability to "forgive and forget" is amazing grace enough. But to add to that list praying for something to happen against all odds and watching it happen; the complete healing of a "there is no hope" patient, the funding for a ministry need from "out of nowhere," the total reversal of a life headed the wrong way, the divine intuition to call someone when they "needed you most." I've always been kind of a faith junkie (with too much reason and (sometimes) too many finances for faith's good) and have had my share of great experiences and hope to have more. I hope that on my dying day, I witness something amazing at the hand of God. Perhaps my own salvation would be amazing enough?

Recently, I saw God begin to do something in the lives of some people. In a world where we sometimes think the potential of a human being is without limit, I watched God take a very limited "human" situation and begin to move it to "beyond super-human" capabilities. Like a priceless work of art in process of creation, the details remain hidden for now, but watching God work has renewed my conviction that if one is looking for "adventure," without question faith provides perhaps the greatest arena for it.

I've experienced some amazing adventures in my lifetime, but never any as great as scaling the boundaries of faith. How far will faith take you? One thing is assured, a great adventure awaits you!

"And without faith it is impossible to please God,
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
Heb. 11:6

More time?

Still mulling this whole time thing over, I was riding home a couple days ago and a disturbing image from my past came back to my recollection. I'd not thought directly about it for some time, but the recollection came with force. While quite morbid in nature, it frames the reality of time in an eerie but profound way.

For whatever reason, it has been my misfortune to come upon many (you'd easily have to count them on more than one hand) fatal auto wrecks. It is not as if I am an EMT or policeman mind you, I'm just an average guy, who over the past few years especially unfortunately seems to be among the first to "arrive on the scene." There was a string of a few months were I came upon three within a short time of one another. It really began to bother me.

One unfortunate occasion a few years ago involved an older woman who was hit in an intersection and her car then exited the roadway into a park/water-retention basin traveled a couple hundred yards across a field and then struck a tree with significant force. Stopping my car as quickly as I could, I ran across the field and was one of two people to find the woman still somewhat seat-belted in the car but beyond either of our abilities to help her (she appeared quite gone from this life). I believe she may have perhaps expired prior to the collision, I simply don't know. When the EMT's arrived there was apparently nothing they could do for her.

My point is not to sensationalize her demise and I pray peace for her remaining loved ones. What I found most startling was the watch on her wrist... though she had left this life and the constraints of time as we know it, her watch still faithfully ran. The sweep hand marking the seconds as it had done for as long as she owned it. It was an eerie thing to see. Closing my eyes brings the image back with startling clarity.

It was the type of watch someone would give as a gift. An "older woman's" watch that had the signs of longevity on it. The watch was still "living" but she was not. I was standing before her, helpless, on what was to be her last day.

That moment forever affected the way I view time. I used to collect watches, now having more than I can wear in nearly two week's time. I still enjoy them very much but I wear them differently since that day. My view of marking time changed in an instant.

A late friend of mine was given a pocket watch by his family after his first remission from cancer. His wife and children gave him a pocket watch because of the effort it took to check the time. Each time he wanted to know the time, he had to take the time (and effort) to take it out of his pocket, open it, then look and realize the time. There were no quick glances, no cursory checks -- every second was precious and quite intentional in his use of the watch. His memory and the witness of his pocket watch are with me to this day. I will always remember how diligently and profoundly he would check that watch. While he loved the watch, I witnessed him treasure every second he had left in this life. He really knew the value of time.

If you are on the "fast track" in life right now, do yourself a favor and take a moment to value time and appreciate having "more time," for as long as you know you have it. Save only the Savior's return, nothing will "keep" time -- not even a precious timepiece -- it will keep on ticking -- and when we're gone, it will only keep on going.

"Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord
a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."
(2 Pet. 3:8)

Time Flies

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote, "Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind." Perhaps nothing could be more true than in the world of blogging.

It has been a full week (I can't believe it has been that long) since I last offered an entry here. There have been moments (read: seconds) in the past seven days where intentions were quite high to sit and offer a thought or two, but time has flown over me and I've only had its shadow in which to remain. Time. How fleeting and illusive!

It has been said that "time cures one of everything, even living" and I suppose this to be true. Time is illusive and may get the very best of us (or the worst of us depending on how we look at it) if we are not diligent in our stewardship of it. Enjoying writing as I do, I find the tyranny of the urgent driving most of my writing. A letter of correspondence, an email to set a meeting time, a lesson plan or teaching outline all demand attention and consume the "available" time I perceive I have to write recreationally (even in a space as brief as a blog).

Though we can never fully avoid the demands of time, lately, I've been trying to think less in terms of time and more in terms of essence. I've been considering what is it I essentially need to "be" rather than what it is I necessarily must "do." I believe there is a bottomless pit closely associated with this type of thinking. When we exclusively place "being" over "doing" we can get so lost in the "being" that the "doings" requiring deadlines and appointments become meaningless. It is recommended steering clear of that trap.

However, there is merit to finding balance between the "doing" and the "being."

As I sit to write in this moment, I'm finding the expression coming not from the "need to cross 'blog writing' off my day's "to do" list," but rather from the desire to stop for a moment and think about something or someone and try to connect with some folks who might indulge me long enough to read what I have written and perhaps garner their thoughts as well.

Rather than letting time manage me, I'm trying to find the principle difference in better managing my time. Doing so efficiently must have something to do with "being" and "doing" and I'm trying to find out what the balance is to it all.

Have you any ideas on balancing time and what motivates "doing" what you do and "being" who you are? I'd enjoy you taking the time to share some thoughts...

Denied the Ride

An avid motorcyclist is always looking for an excuse to ride the bike, but being exposed to the elements brings a whole different dimension to the experience of transportation. Instead of wanting to ride, frequently motorcyclists have to choose to ride (or choose not to ride as the case may be).

Most operators of cars (a.k.a. "cages" to the motorcycle riding community) give little, if any, real concern for the weather conditions around them. They will simply put on whatever clothes feel comfortable or that which is fashionable for the occasion, grab the keys, jump in the car and go. For a motorcyclist on the other hand, attention to the weather is a serious matter and can, at a minimum mean comfort on the ride and, ultimately could even be the difference between life and death. So if there is a significant threat of inclement weather, the tendency for most riders is to err on the side of precaution and take a car. Then there are days like today...

When my day began at 5:30 this morning, the forecast was for a blustery and gusty day with sustained winds in the mid to upper 20 MPH range and gusts up to 40 mph and a high temp in the low sixties. For a motorcyclist, those numbers aren't inherently prohibitive (especially the temperature because the low sixties are about perfect temperatures for bike and rider), but winds of that velocity do not make for the most enjoyable of conditions. All things considered, today I chose to take the "cage."

When time came for the evening commute, exiting the office revealed the day could not have been more pleasant for motorcycling. Sitting at intersection after intersection on the way home, I saw fellow rider after fellow rider enjoying the same wonderful weather I could have been enjoying as well. "Jealous," you accuse? Of course, you'd be correct! Anytime a motorcyclist sees other riders on their bikes having a great time and you're not on yours, there is a profound sense of "bummer" going on in the "caged" rider's mind. Happy for the other guy to a certain degree, but still wishing... longing... you were on your own bike. It is a "lost day" in the mind of a true rider.

On the drive home, this got me to thinking about our witness as Christians. If pre-Christians had any real clue about how fulfilling a life relationship with Jesus Christ really is and then chose to "drive" instead of "ride," might there be some sense of "missing something?" In other words, a "lost day" for them. The difference of course assumes there would, for that pre-Christian, be some awareness of what they were missing. Perhaps if followers of Christ really lived lives of testimony and witness, pre-Christians would have a stronger sense of what their life could be. They would have a better idea of what they are, in fact, missing!

Many people wonder why I ride motorcycles at all, claiming it is simply too dangerous! Others wonder why I ride as often as I do, again claiming danger and that I'm only increasing my odds for disaster. My only reasonable response to their protest is "if you've never ridden, you likely won't ever understand."

I've frequently said, "Some are born to ride and others are just born." I frequently encourage people to not discount motorcycles until they have at least ridden one! Many people never even try motorcycling and for a guy who loves it so intently, I find that sad for them. Many convince themselves the "risks" are not worth the "rewards" and simply avoid it altogether. But many of those don't do so out of informed experience, but merely out of preconceived notion and ill-informed assumption. (Ask a friend of mine who crashed within her first seconds on a motorcycle, gashed her leg open, and still proceeded to motorcycle safety school the next day, and today happily rides as often as possible! One has to at least try it before they can honestly reject it).

Others will wonder why Christ followers spend time seeking the Lord. Still more are curious why Christians are so serious about their relationship with the Christ. My hunch is that if they have never experienced our true witness of that relationship, how will they ever know? And if they never know, how will they ever make an informed decision as to whether they will ever take the risk to "ride" or not?

I'm ready to ride. Does anyone else care to join me?

We Were So Close

For those who know me well, my love for music can not be hidden. If I don't think anyone is around (and sometimes even when I don't care if someone is around) , you'll catch me singing some lyric from somewhere because I seem to "always" have a song playing in my head. I have a love for everything from Classical to (even) HipHop. Jazz, country, opera can all move me in deeply meaningful ways. I simply love music. Period.

One of the things that always fascinates me about music and its creation are the titles of the songs. Last night on American Idol, one contestant sang a song known as "Geek In Pink." As I listened to the lyric, it was obvious to me where the name for the song originated. But what about those Jazz, Classical and "inbetweeners" that have really cool names like "Take 5" or "Birdland" or "Catharsis," where do those titles originate. There are no lyrics to give us clues!

Today, I came across a CD that I have always loved but had not listened to in years. David Foster's "The Symphony Sessions" is a wonderful collection of acoustic piano pieces with an accompanying symphony orchestra. Each cut on the CD is rich in musical quality. The writing, the orchestration, the performances and production are all of superb quality.

There is one song on this 1988 release (the tenth and final track) that always holds me in check. A lilting melody with a simple piano lead line, it is entitled "We Were So Close." I have no idea why it is called such, but even after hearing it countless times for nearly 20 years now, it still moves me to the depths of my musical soul. Surely something or someone quite powerful inspired its writing. It would be great if you could hear it, but then again, it might not move you as it does me. If you want to try click here.

There have been many occasions (and I'm not exaggerating) when I've literally been moved to tears by this simple 4 minute 12 second piano solo. There are no background instruments, no vocals, just David Foster and one beautiful piano.

I'm listening now, even as I write these lines, and the song just simply takes me to a beautiful place. A place where God and those I love are so incredibly "close" and it makes me wonder if it isn't something I have experienced in the past, but perhaps is something for which I have to look forward to happening.

I have known the Lord as what I would describe as "close." I feel as though I'm close now. But I do long, one day, to be "so close." I have loved people in ways that I would call "close," but I long to love them "so close" so that one day they will be able to say, "We were so close."

"Dear friends, now we are children of God,
and what we will be has not yet been made known.
But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is."
(1 John 3:2)

Is there a song that moves you so deeply that you can hardly describe how you feel when you hear it?

If so, I'd like to know.

Old Legs

The 2007 church softball league opened last night with every HOCC team winning except one. That team likely would have won, but they were playing an HOCC team! So, there you go!

With four full teams being fielded this year, there are scores of opportunity for the men of the church to fellowship and get hurt together (I've been injured more playing softball than any other athletic venture I've participated in - why they call that thing a "soft" ball, I'll never know)!

Last night, one HOCC team was a little short on their roster so another brother and I willingly "volunteered" to play on that team immediately following our victory in the 7:00 game. Running breathlessly off the first field (we ran a little over time), we hurriedly changed jerseys and ran out just as the second inning was starting.

Feeling well warmed up and (finally) "in the groove" (I was only 1 for 4 in the first game) I was ready to play and had a fairly good outing hitting 3 for 4 and contributing some defensively. It was fun to be on the field again. The last game I played was back in June of 2006, when I completely dislocated my right thumb sliding into third and had to have our shortstop "relocate" it in the dugout (I highly recommend always having a trained chiropractor on your team -- the benefits are priceless!!!). Needless to say, the rust was thick on me (especially with the bat), but I'm anticipating the timing to improve.

Next to playing in a band, their may not be any more fun a bunch of guys can have together than playing as a team on the ball field. Though we are all clearly a step (or two or three) slower than we were "back in the day," we still have a great time. And winning is always a lot better than losing! We won the second game 19 - 15.

The "fun" took on a slightly different tone this morning as I attempted to get out of bed. My old legs barely wanted to work and throughout the day today, my upper thighs and hamstrings have been singing a song much different than the rest of my physical being. Even considering myself in relatively good shape, last night was an extension of what my muscles are used to doing.

All this reminds me of something Jesus once told His disciples. Jesus had been praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and He had asked His followers to stay awake with Him. Though they were willing to do so, their bodies wouldn't cooperate. Jesus said, "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" (Mark 14:38). The spirit of the apostles wanted to go the distance with Jesus, but their bodies had not been trained for that level of experience. They kept falling asleep on the Savior of the world!

If my old legs are any indication of where my spiritual body is, I'd say I have some catching up to do with regard to what I really want to achieve in Christ. While it may not hurt while on the field, the next morning is tough and will require a whole new level of training. I suppose the same can be said of our spiritual selves as well!

Lord, please help these "old legs."

The Time Has Come

Jesus makes a powerful announcement in Mark 1:15 when He declares, "The time has come." Those words changed everything. Nothing that was the same would ever be the same again. Four little words and all of history would become "his story" as prophecy fulfilled, Savior of the world.

Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John were simple fishermen. They were not the elite of the intellectual community. They weren't upper-crust social climbers either. They were just simple, ordinary, unschooled men (Acts 4:13). Rough handed, big armed net-haulers who worked a hard long day for a good day's wage. Likely honest, but rough around the edges, Jesus would call these four guys to the forefront of His scene because the time had come.

I often wonder if they really had any clue as to what they were getting into. "Fishers of men?" What was that supposed to mean, anyway? And would they be able to earn a living fishing for men? They had to be wondering to themselves... how did they know this Jesus could feed five thousand with five loaves and two fish? Who could know something like that?

Do you ever wonder if they even knew each other prior to being called? Both parties, the "Simon and Andrew Fishing Company" and the "Zebedee and Sons Fishing Company" must have had some awareness of each other as they worked the waters of the Sea of Galilee. But what might make it even more amazing that they would team up in this new fishing expedition (for men) is that they were likely competitors! Could they have even initially handled such a thing? Arch-rivals don't always make the best teammates! Jesus calls together the most unlikely of guys because "the time had come."

But this is what makes Jesus' proclamation so real, so authentic. "The time has come" for a lot of amazing things to happen. Not the least of which is people whom you would least likely expect to see together, teaming up and doing amazing things because "the kingdom of heaven is near. Repent and believe the good news."

God has an amazing way of bringing really unlikely combinations of people together to do amazing things. The time has come for those of us who follow Jesus to put away our comforts and participate in the authentic community Jesus has awaiting for us. Sometimes the people Jesus leads us to may not be anything like us, or they may even be our competitor, but Jesus has away of making that all come out for the good. It must be true, because "the time has come."

Life Exposed

As if the tragic life (and subsequently tragic death) of Anna Nicole Smith has not been enough fodder for the media circus so far this year, we are now made to wade through the locks of Britney Spears' latest exploits. Another apparently tragic life in the making is being media-exposed and thrust into our awareness through virtually all forms of human communication. TV, radio, internet, phone, text messaging, even around the water-cooler, one can hardly get away from it even with considerable effort to do so. Can you imagine living your life in such a way that even when you cut your hair, it makes worldwide headlines? That is a level of exposure I'm fairly certain no clear-thinking human being would want to have to endure.

On occasion, the media can be so incredibly invasive into the lives of real-live human beings. Eager to get the scoop and beat the ratings over the next channel or magizine, the media Piranha will devour without hesitancy and frequently without just cause. Surely you've noticed that retractions take up little column space and are often hidden behind the next day's headline.

This is not to say that Ms. Smith and Ms. Spears (both surnames I share in my family background by the way) are not somewhat responsible for the "circus" that is their story. There are many celebrities that never "enjoy" these levels of exposure and will continuously put forth considerable effort to keep it that way.

What is interestingly contrasting to me is how all human beings on earth are equally known and equally live exposed lives. Our exposure is not to the media however, but to the Creator. Things both Smith and Spears have done that the press may never discover or disclose are known by the One who created them both. He knows the hearts of all men and women and what mankind will value as "newsworthy" and celebrities will use as means for self-promotion, God likely sees as shameful and sad.

Isn't it interesting to consider God knows every "scoop" on us, but He will never use it to exploit, demean or malign us? Instead, God uses the "dirt on us" to call us back to Himself and to encourage us to live a life of holiness by His grace through Jesus Christ.

I celebrate that my entire life is exposed to God and I am happy I can trust His use of the information. I know my "secret sins" will not make the primetime airwaves and that makes me quite thankful and moved to pray for those who's lives are so portrayed.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

O Love That Would Not Let Me Go

Truth is I've never been the kind who likes being pinned down. I didn't care much for wrestling in Jr. High (it was a mandatory physical discipline in P.E. back in my day). While I really didn't much like the thought of a guy in tights being that close to me, I really didn't like the thought of somebody laying on top of me and pinning me to the floor against my will. I remember my matches didn't last too long because I just didn't like being all tied down. I'd rather lose the match than get all tangled up for a couple minutes that felt like an eternity!

I guess some might suggest I'm a bit of a "free spirit." I've always gravitated to less structured things. Growing up I was encouraged to play "legitimate" music in bands and orchestra (clarinet mostly), but I really loved the guitar and gravitated toward blues and jazz music because of the freedom of improvisation and the woeful expressions of those genres.

Solitary sports (other than wrestling, no doubt) have tended to draw my interest. Surfing I've enjoyed since I was a little buddy. I loved just being in a "soul session" dropping into wave after wave alone, even in a line-up with a hundred other people, just being in the water on the back of a board is an amazing experience. The solitude of the mighty ocean, the power of a wave and the rush of motion is an incredible joy that is difficult to fashion into words.

Now living so far from the ocean, I find my "soul sessions" out on the back of a motorcycle or on the driving range hitting golf balls. Just me alone... and the rush of instant speed gratification awaiting each twist of the throttle or the contrasting quiet click of a well hit (and sometimes not-so-well-hit) ball. There is a serenity to both of these contexts, decibels notwithstanding.

Given a wardrobe of choice... I'm less comfortable in the constriction of a necktie and will choose a T-shirt and jeans on most occasions. One of my most favorite combinations is a sweatshirt, shorts and flipflops... ahh, the perfect uniform for a "sixty-something" degree day!

So as I see it, life is best lived untied, untucked and unconstricted. But as comfortable as that may be for me in many circumstances in my life, it isn't the way I've come to know the love of God. There is something about God's love that is inescapable but is not threatening to freedom.

Recently I reacquainted myself with an old hymn from the mid-19th century that speaks of a "love that would not let me go." It is a poetic lyric speaking of the everlasting quality of God's infinite love.

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths
its flow may richer, fuller be.

To be in the "ocean's depth" of God's love is to surrender completely to it. Not to wrestle away from it, but to "rest my weary soul" in God's love. God's love is a profoundly captivating place of spiritual and emotional residence. To return the very life God has given as a "re-gifting" of what He has already freely given to me seems scarcely proportionate, yet completely appropriate an expression of thanks for a love that graciously "pins me to the floor."

There have been occaisions in my life when I've tried to wiggle out from under "a love that would not let me go" and I've found that is not a blessed place at all. Realizing I can never get out from under His mighty love, I choose now merely to surrender, to quit resisting it, and to find comfort in its Divine constriction so as to find His love in me "richer and fuller be."

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge --
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Eph. 3:17b-19

How do you feel about God's love that will never let you go?

Face

Have you ever been given a word of advice but you've never really received it? It may have come through a trusted friend who ventured into the realm of "danger" with you by offering some unsolicited admonishment or suggestion or perhaps it came more innocuously by way of something you read. But either way, you heard a "message in it for me" but perhaps chose to not act on the word.

There have been a few occasions in my spiritual walk where I have found myself being "prompted" by something, or more appropriately Someone, but I've not moved on it as quickly as I likely should have. It is something akin to what Jack Deere writes in his book "Surprised By The Voice of God" as the "internal voice." An inaudible, but yet fully clarified "voice" of something (again more appropriately Someone), calls to the listener and awaits a response.

Camping out in Psalm 27 this week, I've wondered if David had a similar experience.

"Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior."
Ps. 27:7-9

There are times I know, beyond any reasonable doubt, that God is calling me "closer." My heart has said, "seek His face" and I know cognitively I have been invited, but I hesitate and resist the movement closer to His face. Most often, the hesitancy rests in me and my laziness or perhaps my fear of what I will see of myself in His awesome reflective countenance.

As for David though, I love His pursuit of the "face of God." He pleads that God not "hide his face from him." What an incredible testimony to the depths of their mutual relationship. His face I will seek!

I long to be more like David and act on the "invitation" of the Lord, don't you? My heart says, "Seek His face" and that is precisely what I long to do.

How about you? How many invitations from God to "seek His face" have you let pass? What do you do to follow through on those incredible invitations? What amazing experiences await those who do, indeed, "seek His face?"

If you don't mind sharing, I'd like to know what you think...

The Fear of Listening

Among the greatest fears in the human experience is (apparently) the fear of standing before other human beings and publically speaking. For some, even the thought of standing before a group and opening one's mouth to speak is incomprehensible. There seems to be a magic number of persons in an audience that moves a speaker from functional to mute. For some that number is as few as only a "few," and a paralysis so severe overwhelmingly grips them that nothing more than muted groans emerge. I (perhaps unfortunately at times) have never been one of those people fearful to speak in public.

My first "stage oration" came at the tender age of five. At the Kindergarten fall performance for Lockhaven Christian School, I announced to a crowd of what might as well have been 10,000 people (it was likely less than 300), "Meow, I'm in the Kindergarten class!" (Yes, I was dressed as a kitty cat and had a stunning terrycloth covered, tail, a furry wig and mascaraed whiskers to help sell the line). Likely incriminating pictures exist somewhere in this world.

I've never feared the stage before (how much stage presentation is offered a four-year-old anyway) or since. Public speaking has come as naturally to me as breath, and sometimes even more naturally, as I've literally at times found my words outlasting my physical breath (a frustration that occasionally strikes public speakers).

Many are the opportunities for those who are comfortable with public speech (or find themselves wanting to be more comfortable) to increase their skills and expertise. High school and college courses, business courses, Toastmasters, speaking clubs, etc. offer countless opportunities to become a better orator. While there is certainly nothing wrong with wanting to develop one's speaking abilities, it is a curious thought that our culture may excel more at speaking than we do listening. Have you ever heard of a "listening" course? Perhaps buried deep within the course catalogue for a degree in counseling, but listening is not typically highly valued in this culture.

While researchers have identified people's fear of speaking, I've not seen much study on people's fear of listening. There certainly is a fear in listening and it may be the very reason so few of us are any good at it. It takes certain levels of talent to be a good speaker, but equally is this true of being a good listener. But more than talent, being a good listener requires dedication and attention to humility and self-denial and this is where fear enters the picture.

Living within a culture emphasizing autonomy and self-interest, it is difficult to find good listeners because there is little apparent reason to be a good listener. Most people would rather talk than listen, even when they are deathly afraid of speaking in public. In crowds of less than a "few," most would rather be heard than to hear from someone else. So we reject our fears and "rattle off" because the fear of speaking is perceived as being less than the fear of listening.

painful life situation, because that might mean their situation is more difficult than ours and then to whom would we complain? We don't want to hear of And why should we listen to one another? Do we really want to hear about someone else'sanothers problems because, frankly, we have problems of our own we are trying to figure out. Finally, we don't really want to listen to a rebuke or exhortation because that would require that we possibly change something about ourselves. Change hurts and we don't want to hurt because we already have "problems" of our own. So we remain in a self-induced fear cycle and speaking wins over hearing virtually every time.

Take a close listen to your next conversation or to the conversation of others and observe if you can find a good listener in the group. If so, stay near that person for the one who can listen will prove to be a good servant to all. Not only will you likely need their ear at some time, but you may learn something from them as well.

The reality is that if we are ever going to live in the authentic spiritual communities for which we were created, we are going to have to learn how be better listeners. We're going to have to get over our fear of the implications of listening and open our ears to the world we see around us.

Once we are given ears to hear the needs of others around us, we will not hear another's words as threat or problem, but we will embrace them as opportunities to live in authentic community with one another and be the blessing we are intended to be.

"Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,
for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips."
Prov. 22:17-18

Artist in Finding

One of the most wonderful things about the kingdom of God is the occasional encounter with new people. Not new people to the world, though greeting newly arrived children in this world is a blessed event, but "finding" new people who have been on this earth as long (or longer) than you have but your paths just haven't previously crossed. Today I had one of those encounters.

A local Dallas artist was recommended to me for some work I am currently involved with and today I had the honor of meeting him for the first time. Being complete and total strangers, we had the typical "unknowns" to deal with prior to our meeting. I can't speak for him, but when I have a "scheduled meeting" with a complete stranger, my pulse always quickens and my blood pressure rises just a little before meeting them. From the moment I met David, I felt at ease and had that "sense" we'd known each other a long time.

The ease was not in previously knowing each other, but was in being previously "known" by the One who has saved us. There is such an incredible commonality for those who are devoted followers of Christ Jesus. It doesn't matter whether we've known each other before, the fact that we are "known" by Christ makes us brothers. Those bonds can form quickly if Jesus precedes the relationship. Today it felt He certainly did precede the introduction.

With the security of another of my friends joining us, we immediately began talking about our individual faith journeys and how God is currently moving in our lives. The conversation was filled with much energy and excitement for what God has done for each of us. I sat in wonder as each of us shared a little of how God has rescued us from our past and is being faithful in delivering our future.

A fellow musician (he plays bass), we hit it off quickly and felt comfortable enough to share lunch at a local cafe. It was a really cool day and maybe the beginning of a mutually blessed friendship. Only God knows what is around the next corner (if there even is a next corner), but as for today, I'm thankful for my new friend, a true artist in finding.

If you are interested in David's work, check it out here.

"By this all men will know you are my disciples,
if you love one another."
John 13:35

Belly Laughs

The old cliche goes, "Laughter is the best medicine" and to a large extend I believe it. Next to prayer, meditation on God's word and the counsel and comfort of good friends, there can be little better comfort.

God certainly has a well developed sense of humor (where else would our humor come from were it not from the Creator?). Issac (his name means "he laughs") brought great joy to his parents Sarah and Abraham in that he was born to them well past their child-bearing years and for the rest of his life, his name carried the laughter of that blessing from the Lord.

Recently, a friend sent me a video of a child laughing that was just priceless. The "trigger" for the child is a simple sound an adult male (I assume to be his Daddy) makes out of the view of the camera. The child's anticipation of the impending noise and his subsequent laugh is part of the fun. He knows it is coming and only the slightest noise will set him off (I'm smiling just writing about it). Click here if you want to see it and laugh with us.

I truly want to be the kind of spirit that even in the midst of trouble or pain can anticipate laughter will come. A Psalm of Moses includes this line: "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days" (Ps. 90:14). Only God's unfailing love can be a sure provider for genuine joy.

Thoughts of raising our daughters came back to me seeing this video. I recalled my wife and I playing this same game with them, provoking them to deep belly laughs. The belly laugh is "one of a kind" and yet shared by children all over the world. It comes from way down deep in the gut and then bursts out of faces filled with glee. There are few better sights in the world!

Today, I'm thankful God has given us the gift of laughter. As with many things in this world, children seem to do some things better than we adults do. Laughter may be one of those things. Perhaps this is another indicator of something Jesus said about being like children...

"And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like
little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:3

Outgrown Expectation?

At $2.5 million per 30 second spot, I wonder what the Monday morning after the Super Bowl is like for all the companies and organizations who choose to place advertising on what is arguably the largest viewed sporting event in the world. Let that number sink in on you... $2.5 million per 30 second spot (that's roughly $83,333. per second). That is a bunch of money spent in an amazingly short amount of time!

The general feedback I've heard regarding the commercials this year was that they were "not so good" or even "boring." I recall a few years ago, there was nearly as much hype for the commercials as there was for the game itself. In looking for entertainment "value" in this year's commercials, I'd have to agree with the general consensus, the commercials simply weren't that good. Was the money well spent?

With technology being what it is today, I'm sure there are electronic reports on the desks of many business executives this morning providing statistics on how many TV's stayed tuned into the commercial breaks or how many broke away. In a matter of weeks these companies and organizations will realize the true "value" in advertising and will be able to measure increases in participation or sales. Then, I suppose, the whole truth will be told.

"Was $83,333. per second worth the expense? Has the national audience outgrown the expectations for Super Bowl commercials? That would be fascinating to know.

Any time I even begin wondering if following Christ is "worth" the effort it takes to continue advancing in one's faith walk toward the image of the Savior, I remember the price that was paid for my redemption. Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians of the same thing when he was instructing them about morality. He said, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

The divine "price" of our redemption far exceeds $83,333. per second. To honor God is the only appropriate response I can give to the amazing grace we have received through an amazing price and that, for followers of Christ, is the truth.

That being said, "Did your favored team win?"

Mine did.

Checking Our Balance

Some people I know never balance their checkbooks. They run financially off monthly statements or view their accounts on line, but never run a full balance sheet of their accounts. I on the other hand, want to know. In years past I would obsess over even a few cents if the account didn't balance. Today (my wife now balances our account a discipline which she took over years ago likely because she got tired of my stress), I can tolerate being even a few dollars off, but I still want to know "how much" is in there, even when we're not living with a specific budget concern.

What it is about the "balance" of my checking account that provokes me to want to know what it is with pinpoint accuracy, I don't know. With the advent of on-line banking, it is certainly easier to attain necessary information, but the ready availability of that information could drive me to nearly obsessive tendency if I allowed it.

A close friend of mine often chides me for necessarily having to balance my checkbook before writing my weekly tithe check. We laugh about it, but for some reason it makes things "right" in my little world to know how much is in there before I contribute. (Yeah, I know... If I was really "with it" I'd utilize online giving - but I appreciate the "worship" of writing a check. Call it habit, call if old fashioned I guess -- maybe it is one of the virtues of being "half-way-to-ninety."

If we consider our lives as living "checking accounts," I wonder would we be aware of our balance? What if we considered the number of our God-given days (Ps. 139) as a balance sheet and then spent the minutes, hours, days and years as we would write checks or swipe debit cards. How generous would I be?

By this point in my life, would I have more money than I know what to do with? In a spiritual sense, by having too much money in my account, I would actually be "in debt" -- guilty of taking much grace, mercy and love but not being willing to spend it on others. Spiritually in debt.

While we may be concerned about the "bottom line" of our financial accounts, perhaps we would do well to give the same level of concern to our spiritual accounts as well. Instead of going online, I'm going to spend more time with the Lord and see if I can find the "bottom line" on my life account.