trees

I love trees. We have lots of trees at our house. About 18 in all, of which I planted 11 of them. They are beautiful, unique and speak to me of the glory of God.

One of them is dying. One of the biggest ones on our lot. I think it is an elm, and I think it has Dutch Elm disease. It is dying from the top down. It is kind of odd. It is in a grove of trees all bunched up together, but it is dying. Right in the midst of life, here is a dead one. Suddenly, with no warning, gone.

I don't want it to die, but sometimes we don't get to choose do we? We can't control everything that comes our way in life. Sometimes in life you get what you want, and sometimes in life you get what you get.

Everything dies eventually. And we go on, because life is still good.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

?

I am posting late. Sorry, but I can't think of anything to write about. Mama said there would be days like this.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
[maybe that is enough]

Can you hear the birds sing?

I have had several write to me in the past week and tell me that they were sitting on the deck listening to the birds sing. They described the joy of listening. The joy of quiet. The beauty of the birds and the world that they had been missing. To listen is to renew the soul. To listen is to hear the voice of God singing through his creation.

What are you listening to? Are you even aware that the birds are out there, singing to the glory of God? Might you take time to hear them? "I took the road less travelled by and to me it made all the difference in the world."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Resurrection Blue Springs

Church of the Resurrection, United Methodist. The big one in Leawood. The one with 9,000 on Sunday morning.

After much discussion and prayer, the North Spring United Methodist church has agreed to partner with Resurrection. Resurrection will be bringing their worship and culture to the North Spring campus on I-70 between 7 highway and Adams Dairy Parkway.

It will open in August sometime.

Yes it is probably going to happen, and everything is ok. i have heard a few worried voices, but every thing is going to be ok. It will be good to have a strong church in the area. Iron sharpens iron. Our mission does not change. We will still be working to connect people to Jesus Christ. Do not be worried about other partners in Christ working in our area. There are plenty of people in Blue Springs and Independence for everyone to reach.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

perfect

In the 80's there was a movie starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis called Perfect. She was an aerobics instructor and all of the characters were working out in pursuit of the perfect body. Lots of skin, no perfection attained.

Church.

When you drive by that beautiful church on 291, everything looks perfect. The bell tower is a wow. If you actually drive onto the property, the landscaping is perfect. The flowers, the trees, the bells chiming makes for a wonderful, perfect setting.

That doesn't mean the people are perfect. In fact, the opposite is true. Every single person that attends Woods Chapel is broken in one way or another, or many ways. The smiles and the hospitality, the love and the joy is not a sign of perfect people that have it all together. The signs of the spirit that you may see at church are simply signs of the presence of God and of broken people pursuing God.

Never look at anyone at church as perfect. Never think that the preacher is perfect. No far from it! But enjoy the beauty and the joy! Celebrate God! That is why we are there, but never forget that we are all sinners saved by grace. That is the thing that gets us up and headed in the right direction. That is what makes us continue to work to make the church a wonderful place. Not our being perfect, but the gratitude we have to a God who makes all things beautiful.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

do not publish

Occasionally I get a comment that includes the words, "do not post" or "do not publish." I received such a comment yesterday. I always honor their request.

To the person who sent the comment and to anyone else that needs to hear this:

There are very few "pat" or perfect answers in life. About anytime some well meaning preacher says something about "just do this, or just do that," there is always a situation for which the advice seems impossible. I am sorry that my post from the other day appears to have just stirred up old wounds.

I have no experience with the kind of pain that you are describing. I did not and do not ever mean to provide anything but the highest respect for the pain that people are feeling. There are some situations that defy advice. Yours is a tough one.

Although I have never experienced what you have, I want to tell you that in my life, I have experienced a good deal of pain. I wish that there was a good answer. I encourage people to pray and to do their best to trust in God and release the pain. I would also encourage them to put some distance between the source of the pain and themselves, but this is not always possible.

And so we live. Sometimes joyful, sometimes limping along, dragging ourselves through the day, praying that God will help us see the good. Having friends helps. Having someone to talk to helps. If I could, I would hug you and tell you that I am so sorry for what has happened. Words, even words from a pastor do not fix every problem, but I am hopeful that the kindness that we can show to one another will help to brighten the day.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

love

I just can't get away from this love thing. I guess that is good.

Here it is again: love keeps no record of wrongs.

I read this the other day: "when we are offended over something, we lose our ability to love others." What does that mean? Our job is to love. Always. Period. To the extent that we are offended we separate ourselves from others. Even when we are justly offended, we don't have to take offense.

Love keeps no record of wrongs. Love covers a multitude of sins. I try to remember this when I am hurt by others, because I want others to cover my sins and forgive me as well.

Love draws us together. It heals us. It takes us into God's presence because God is love.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

new friends

Wow. where do I start with this? It is memorial day at 7pm and I am working in the church office catching up. I am the only one in the building, but I hear a pounding on the door. It comes and goes as if someone is trying to get into the building. Then I find them. A group of youngsters from the neighborhood that want a drink.

Can they come in and get a drink?
[I don't know any of them. Well maybe i have seen a few of them playing basketball a time or two.]
Can they come in? Sure of course.
I will show you where the fountain is....
We already know where the fountain is.....

So I follow 12 kids age 5-14 into the foyer to get a drink. The little ones want a cup. Then they want coffee. Then they want creamer. Pretty soon I am running a Christian coffee shop for the neighborhood kids.

I introduce myself. I am jeff, I am the pastor. If you ever need anything here, ask for me.
Should we call you Mr Jeff?
No, just jeff.

I went back to my office and let them enjoy the air conditioning in the foyer. Some of the little ones said that they liked this church and they wanted to come here. I told them to come anytime.

I found some hotwheel cars in my office [imagine that] and gave one to each of the kids. They seemed to like them [smart kids].

They decided it was time to leave and out the door they went with about ten cars, 5 styrofoam cups and a new friend.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

say it

Yesterday in church, the band did a song by Mike and the Mechanics called "in the living years." Its about how we need to say the things to our loved ones while they are alive, and not wait until they are gone.

It is one of those songs that I heard when I was younger, but never really listened to the words. Yesterday in church, the words hit me pretty hard.

"I wasn't there that morning,
when my father passed away.
I didn't get to tell him,
all the things I had to say...."

So, it's memorial day. Call someone you love and tell them you love them. Stop the people walking through your house and tell them that you love them. In the living years.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

The B-I-B-L-E

The B-I-B-L-E, yes thats the book for me, I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E.

We all learned the song, yet many Christians do not take up the book and read it. Some are afraid of it. Some have not the time. Others have tried, and become lost or confused.

Many just do not know where to begin. Here are my suggestions. Start with the books that are easier to understand, easier to relate to.

In the Old Testament, Genesis, Judges, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes. [anyone out there that has other Old Testament suggestions, please chime in.] In the New Testament: any of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. The book of acts is great. Take Paul's letters after you have read the gospels. Leave Revelation for another day.

You might want to get into a disciple one study this fall. Many have benefited by the opportunity to cruise through scripture in this class, and to do it with other friends.

Happy reading!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

getting older

Now, I understand that getting older is all relative. If I am younger than you are, you may not think I know about growing older. I talked to a 23 year old the other day who complained about getting older because there was nothing to look forward to any more.

Regardless of your age, we are all getting older. When you stop getting older, there is a funeral in your near future.

So, here is my point, as another birthday looms on the horizon for me, I am thinking about getting older. Changes in my body. Changes in how I feel. Changes. And you know, it is not as bad as I thought it was going to be when I was young. I actually enjoy some of the benefits of being older.

Like what? Well, I don't worry as much as I used to. I have learned and retained a great deal of information. I know a ton of people. I have oodles of life experience that I can apply to the decisions that I make. I can be an encouragement to others. I know what it is like to raise a kid from birth through college [almost].

When people comment on how old I am getting, I like to say, "well, I hope that you get to be 52 some day." After all, it is a privilege, not a right.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

my ministry

My ministry. I heard a pastor say it the other day. We have done such and such in "my ministry." "My ministry" focuses on such and such. My ministry has been successful. My. My. My. Me. Mine.

Ugh. It makes me cringe. I just want to pop the people that say this. Let me rant for a minute.

Pastor, it is not your ministry! It is the ministry of Christ! It is not about you, it can never be about you and it cannot sound like it is about you. To the degree that you make it sound like it is about you, the work of Christ is hurt.

True ministry points past the person doing the ministry, to the object of the ministry- Jesus. It is a great privilege that any pastor has to be in the ministry of Christ. It is a privilege, not a right. It is not my ministry. It is the ministry of Christ. I just get to help for a while, and so do all of you.

Ok, that's all. I am done with that, until the next time that I hear someone say it.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

"no"

Sometimes you have to say it, the word we hate to hear, "no". If you are a parent you better learn to say it. Children who get everything that they want are in for a rude awakening later in life. If you are in charge of something you have to decide, yes or no, many times. To be a leader you must learn to be able to say no in a manner that keeps people connected.

"No" can be delivered in a way that is painful, or no can be delivered in as kind of a way as possible. To those on the receiving end of a "no" it can still feel the same. That is why we have to put on our big boy or big girl clothes when we hear a no. We can't always get what we want, and we are not in charge of everything.

If you are the one making decisions, understand this: to say yes to something is to say no to something else. To be a leader, you must be willing to stand for what you are trying to accomplish and to understand that the choices that you make to help achieve those goals, by definition exclude other choices.

There will always be yesses and there will always be no's. Life goes on.

Here are a few "no's". No to apathy. No to ignorance. No to taking the easy way. No to spending more that we should. No to hurting others whenever possible. No to hate. No to selfishness. No to spiritual blindness.

Now, that opens us up for some yesses. Yes to caring, yes to hard work, yes to being frugal, yes to being responsible, yes to kindness, yes to love, yes to being awake.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

swimming

I found a swimming pool last night. I have not been in a pool since last year. I remembered something wonderful that I had forgotten.

When I get into the pool, I am a teenager again.

My knees don't hurt, my skin feels good. I float and glide like a youngster. My brain actually flashed back to when I was a teenager and would swim with my sister. I remembered the scene from the movie "Cocoon" in which Jessica Tandy and Don Ameche and friends all were healed in the swimming pool.

It felt great. I should swim more often.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

welcome new reader

Welcome to a new reader. I guess they show up from time to time and I do not know it. Someone that for some reason gets interested in Jeff's random stuff. I love you all and welcome you all.

But. This newest reader is someone very special. You know how you have babies and then when they turn into teenagers they are no longer interested in you? It's like you get dumb when they turn 13? They don't kiss you goodbye any more. They go off seeking their independence. You always hope that one day they will come back. You hope that they will start to see that you are ok.

My latest reader is my oldest daughter!! She lives in an apartment downtown, and I guess she is bored, because she has started reading about hearing the birds sing. Now I have to tell you, that makes my day. That makes me totally happy. I feel a little smarter.

It's a beautiful day in Good's world, be sure to see the good.

losing things

I lost a credit card last week. It took me three days to find it. I lost my wallet again last night.

Do you ever lose things? Misplace them? Your keys? Your checkbook? Wallet? It seems to happen to me way too much. I have often thought of this as a function of getting older, you know, the hard drive is just full and I can't remember anything anymore.

Anthony Demello says that if this is happening to you on a regular basis, then you are too busy. You are so busy that you are not paying adequate attention to what you are doing. You go from one thing to the next so fast that you are not aware of what is going on around you.

He says that the real problem with this is not that you can't find your keys. The real problem is that you are missing life. You are passing by the beauty, you are not smelling the roses. Slow down and touch every moment. Your wallet is right where you left it. God's stuff is also right where he put it. His trees, his birds, his love, his miracles. They are all there for the experiencing for those who are aware and awake to the gift of being alive.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

lawn mower

Well my wife likes to mow the grass. That is a pretty good woman I would say. So yesterday she goes out to mow, and comes rushing in, upset that the mower is broken. It doesn't sound right. something is broken. This is really important. She wants me to leave the sermon work to go look at the mower.

ok. Put the sermon down, lets go look at the mower.

Now my Dad taught me something about problem solving that I have always remembered. Start with the most simple, cheapest solution first and go on from there. Don't pay for an engine overhaul if all you need is a fuel filter. So back to the mower. I pull it over into the shade. I check the oil. The oil is fine. I open the gas tank. Hmm. empty. Could be a problem. motors usually need gas. that is why they are called gasoline engines.

I get the gas can and fill up the mower. I prime it. I pull the cord. It starts right up. Problem solved. The broken mower was out of gas.

I wish all of my friends had wives that liked to mow. Now if I could just get her to check the gas tank.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

1,000 people

1,000 people. How many people do you know? 100? 1,000? 10,000?

I ran into someone last night that I forgot that I knew. They came up to me and we were talking and they were so nice. Well, it seems that some years ago we had been connected. In another world, in another life, in a galaxy a long long time ago.

I had forgotten. They remembered. They were so glad to see me. They recounted how nice I was to them and how encouraging I had been. We had a nice visit.

I guess the moral of this story is that every single person that you meet is someone that we should be caring about. You may not even remember them in 5 years, but a good word at the right time will often touch the recipient. Every time that you are around anyone is an opportunity for you to leave a mark of love. They won't forget.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

root canal

It's like getting a root canal. That is what we say when something is uncomfortable. But there is no substitute like a real root canal. I had one yesterday.

Five shots in your mouth. The last two are really deep. Ouch.

Then the drilling begins. zzzzzzzz. zzzzzz. zzzzzzzz. zzzzzz. GGG. grind. gggggg. zzzzzz.

Then packing of the drilled out canal. Then patching of the tooth. My root canal was through a crown, so it was particularly enjoyable having them drill through the steel crown.

Then you're done. Here's the bill. Everything is fine. Chew on anything you like. Eat whatever you want. Take ibuprofen. You're gonna hurt when the Novocain wears off.

Ouch. sore mouth today.

But, thank God we live in a world of dentistry. In a country where dentists are available. A root canal. If that is the worst thing that happens to me this week, well, I guess we will be ok.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

a text

This week, a mother who attends our church received this text from her teenage daughter:

:*(last4danitebut:Dcomesndamrnin

Do you see the message? It is from Sunday's sermon. It is Psalm 30:5
"weeping lasts for the night but joy comes in the morning."

I love it when I see our kids taking in and applying what they hear in church. The fact that we have teenagers listening is awesome to me.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

something good

Where are you? How are things going in your life? Do you need something good to happen to you? Then put yourself in a position to find what you are looking for.

If you want to make new friends, then stop hanging out with the old ones. If you want to be more positive, then hang around positive people. If you want to enjoy your home, then spend some time there. If you want to enjoy the gift of God in creation, then plant a flower.

I talk to a lot of people who wish their life was different, but they are stuck in a rut in less than positive circumstances. Get away from those negative nellies. Surround yourself with those who will lift you up. Make an investment in the good and you are much more likely to see it come to pass.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

scriptures from Sunday

Several have asked for the scriptures that I shared on Sunday. The ones that i described as some of my favorites. here they are:

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 30:5
Weeping lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able so separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5 16-18
Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

There they are. print them out and put them in your pocket, on your mirror, or on your refrigerator.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

for the one

Oh, to get into the mind of a preacher. Sunday comes again and again. You better have something inspirational to say, and it better be good.

Your insecurities sometimes come out. Who am I to speak to these people? What am I going to say that they haven't heard before?

You look out at the kind and loving faces and realize that you have been here for so long that almost all of them know everything about you. Every thought, every story, every sermon line.

You are wondering if this sermon is going to do anything for anyone. It's just more of that "put your trust in Jesus stuff."

[now if that sounds like a weird statement, it is. Please give way to the strange things that brains think. Of course the trusting in Jesus stuff is the good stuff. it is the only stuff, but sometimes you have this funny feeling that you should be providing something new. As if there was a new gospel.]

Back to the story. so, you are kind of consumed with your own worries. Your insecurities are floating to the top. Then you see the person. The one. You know what they are facing in their life. They are in as difficult of a spot as anyone could every be. Your heart goes out to them. You realize that they are here looking for a poignant moment, for a bit of inspiration, for a touch from God.

Your feelings change. Now you know that while 1000 others may have heard it all before, this one will hear it today as if they have never heard it before. The thoughts about the sermon change. The joy of the gospel touching a needy heart rises to the top. It is time to preach. You don't even look at them, you don't have to, because you know their heart will be taking it all in. And the words go out, to all, to the one. And you know that the part about trusting in Christ lands in at least one heart that is looking for hope in their life. Probably a lot of others too.

So for you, you who is the one. The one whose heart is in desperate need. From the heart of a sometimes worried, sometimes confident, less than perfect, sometimes insecure servant of God, here it is, the gospel, the good news. Put your trust in Jesus. He can fill the emptiness inside of you. For the one, for you. And for everyone else of the 1,000 as well, it is still the good news. It is the only news.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

teeth

Teeth are better when you are young. Fewer problems, less pain. You have a cavity, they fix it. By the time you get to be my age, well, I have 3 crowns at least and I seem to constantly be goofing something up in my mouth.

It is not my dentist's fault, he is awesome. I just forget and chew on things that I shouldn't. And it always happens on a friday about 4pm. That way, I get to deal with the pain until monday.
Dealing with pain is good, I have decided that it builds character.

I don't know what i have done this time, but I will be glad when tomorrow gets here and my heroic dentist can again solve the problem that I have created in my mouth. You see I was eating licorish and atomic fire balls. There was this cracking noise. Say no more.

I once had a dentist who had this plaque on his wall:

"Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

facebook

Yes, I have a facebook page. There is only one reason why I got on facebook. I wanted to keep up with what my children were doing.

I check facebook once a month or so. So don't be offended if it takes me a while to confirm you as a friend. I don't like the message system on facebook and I find it difficult to reply to messages posted there. Please don't be offended. I just can't spend time at work on facebook every day answering messages. I have an email address at church, it is jeffb@woodschapelchurch.org. That is much easier for me.

Ok, I have to say this too. I don't have time for the facebook junk. I don't do mafia wars. I don't do the farm thing. I don't join facebook clubs. I don't trade facebook hugs. I do not want to tie up my computer with the applications and I just frankly do not have the time.

So please don't be offended if I am not up to speed with everything on facebook. Thanks for your understanding.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

dream

Tuesday and Wednesday our staff was at a retreat at Wilderness Camp in Lawson, MO. Sometime in the night or early morning, sleeping in a sleeping bag on one of those camp hard plastic mattresses, I had a dream.

In my dream I was in the bath tub. Kris Bartman came in. [it's ok, we are both boys]. He said in a tone that got my attention, "get a towel and stand up." I wanted to comply, but I was trying to process what he was saying. He repeated his words, "get a towel and stand up."

I stood up and grabbed a towel. Standing next to Kris was my Dad. Not the 72 year old, barely able to walk Dad, but my Dad when he was about 60. He still had the smile, the ornery, the hope.

Dad, dad, what? What is this? I pulled up his sleeve to check for the scar on his bicep. It was there. I showed it to Kris. Dad, how can this be? He told me that he had been forced by circumstances to fake his death. He had been living in suburb not far away and had married a woman names Sara.

Now they say that dreams only last for 20 seconds or so, but I have to tell you, this one seemed to go on for hours. I loved it. It was like being in heaven. I don't think that the dream really means anything, but I sure did enjoy spending the time with my Dad. When I woke up, I had a feeling in my heart that you only get when you are close to someone that you love. It was awesome.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Lou, continued

This rotten dog is frankly allowing me to enjoy some joyful moments. He is giving me a respite from the really painful things that I am dealing with.

Ok. You all had lots of fun with Lou's potential dental bill. I liked the idea of dental implants and veniers for him. Now it gets worse.

The vet missed it, but the groomer found it. Found them. Worms. Lou has worms. Probably just one worm they say, a tape worm. You might ask, how do dogs get tape worms? From eating rodents, birds and rabbits.

So, it all makes sense. He munches on rabbits, his teeth fall out, and he ends up with a tape worm. In my house, there is a tape worm!! Are you kidding.

Oh, thank God for the funny moments that take your mind off of the really painful stuff.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

two new pair of glasses

Well it finally happened. The eyes don't see like they used to. Over time I adapted to this poor vision but it had got to the point where I needed help. The glasses will help me to see better. They will bring things in focus. That was how last week ended. Not a big deal. In fact, I'm looking forward to seeing things more clearly.

Now the second pair of glasses someone gave to me two days ago. They came in the form of an e-mail. This person took the time to write me about one of my kids. It was all good...very good. The stuff you always hope to hear one day. Kids grow up and begin to "get it"....you hope. You work hard with them, you hope it pays off. Its just hard to see it from your vantage point.

As we grind through things day in day out it is sometimes hard to see clearly the changes that occur around us. We loose focus…. sometimes we loose hope. Maybe we can be that new pair of glasses to someone else. Help them see things a little differently...more clearly.....provide a little hope.

Peace,
Lions Den Man

what do you call a dog with no teeth?

You have got to be kidding me. Dental work for dogs? Yesterday, Lou the Schnauzer went to the vet for his annual shots. $50. $50 for a dog who barks at me when I come in the door. $50 for a dog who eats cat poop.

Now the vet tells us that Lou is going to lose the rest of his teeth if we don't have them cleaned regularly. He lost a bunch of them when we had them cleaned the first time. Now here is my question. Dogs are free. The shelters can't give them away fast enough. Why should I spend $150 on doggie dental every year. I have cars that I don't spend that much money on for repairs.

When I was kid we always had dogs. They never went to the vet. They never got shots. We never bought them dog food. They ate scraps from the table if there were any. They caught rabbits and birds and stuff like that. They were real dogs. They never lost their teeth and they never went in for dental work.

It is not that my father would have laughed at the thought of doggie dental, he would have scowled and considered it as an unbelievable idea.

I guess if Lou loses his teeth we can add a little water to his food so that he can get it swallowed ok. Hey, in a bad economy, doggie dental? He is lucky that I am still buying him food.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

preacher 6, bushes 0

I have a 2000 ford f-150 pickup. I have a couple of log chains. I have learned over the years that I am deadly to overgrown or unwanted bushes.

I had heard about people pulling out bushes with a truck and a chain. Well, last year, my wife and I were arguing about 5 overgrown bushes out in front of our house. I wanted them out. She did not. But, she did not have to trim them all the time and sweep up their stickery stuff. So, one Saturday when she went to the grocery store, I got motivated. Truck, chain and thirty minutes and the bushes are history. She did not even notice that they were gone for a month.

So, when I hear that my buddy Jonnnie Wells wants some bushes removed at church, I volunteer for the job. It's too bad that the only day this week that I can do it is on Mother's day. 4 services, lunch, a nap and back to church to pull the bushes. 30 minutes later it is preacher 6, bushes 0.

If you have an over grown shrub in your yard, and I can get my truck close enough to it, call me up. I am death to unwanted shrubs.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

new member

An interesting story.

I happened by someone's house yesterday. I did not know that they were not a member because I don't keep tabs on all of that. I don't see my job as trying to get members as much as it is helping people along in their Christian walk.

So there are about six woods chapel friends there at the house and we are out talking in the garage. Someone mentions that this person wants to join the church, now, today. They have been attending for nine years and they want to join. I figure since they have attended for nine years, I can waive the new member class.

Usually we have people come up to the front on the third Sunday of the month, but for shy people, if I have a witness, we go ahead and receive them in a private ceremony. That is what this person wanted.

So, we celebrated her commitment to the church. We celebrated that we don't twist arms. Then we asked her the questions. Do you profess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Yes! Will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church and support it by your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness? Yes!!

We prayed. We prayed that she would find friendship and comfort through us, and that God would call her to serve and show her the place to give herself away. Amen. We hugged. Hugs all around. It was cool. A really cool spontaneous thing. A nice thing to happen on any Saturday.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

mother's day cards

Tomorrow is mother's day. When the kids were little, I always bought a card for them to give to their mom. Last year I stopped doing that. I figure, if they can't take the initiative to go to the store and buy a card for their mom, then mom won't get one from them.

That's how the real world works. If it is your birthday and I want to send you a card, no one goes to the store for me, I have to do it myself.

Teaching children to take responsibility and to function effectively in the adult world can be a real challenge. They tend to fight growing up with all of their might. I know that I did. Well, my kids are 19, 21 and 22. They can go get their own card for mom. I hope they do. We shall see, and I will let you know what happens.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Alli

Allison is our oldest. She graduated from high school in 2006. She has been attending college in Warrensburg. Yesterday she passed her last final for this semester. She is in the nursing school. Successfully completing her 7th semester means that she has one more semester until she is out.

Nursing school is pretty hard. you have to have a 73% on all the tests or you fail. Several of her friends have gone by the wayside. The eight semester of nursing school is like senior seminar. Most of the semester this fall she will be in clinicals. There is hardly any class time and hardly any tests to pass.

This summer she will be able to apply for a job as an RN. In December if all goes well, and it sure looks like it should, she will graduate and be employed by a hospital. She has her foot in the door at KU Medical Center now where she is working as a nurse assistant.

So, the moral of this story is that child #1 has almost traversed the chasm of college and landed a degree and a job. Her mom and dad could not be happier. We could not be more proud.

Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

colors

Why are there so many colors of Iris? How do they get that way? Were the colors genetically engineered or did God just make them that way. They are absolutely incredible. I see them and I can only marvel at the greatness of our Creator.

"When I consider the heavens and the beautiful work of your fingers, I am in awe and I sometimes wonder why you bother with us." Psalm 8 [paraphrase]

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

six things

Monday I got to work and there was quickly a list of six things that were bothering me. I was so frustrated, so stressed. Yes, at church, sometimes the work is frustrating.

So I went back to the best advice that I have ever received in my life. Years ago, a dear friend told me to pick one of my problems and focus on that. Work on it until it is gone. Then you only have five problems.

So I picked the worst one. The thing that bothered me the most. I gave it more attention and more time. Last night, it was resolved. Completely.

Ahh. Relief. Somehow, making progress on one thing makes all of the other things look manageable. Back to work today. Back to the five things that remain. But with an attitude change on my part, they are no longer problems, they are challenges.

If you are facing a big pile of challenges, pick the worst one and work on it until it is done. Then pick the next one and work on it until it is done. Little by little, the stress will lift.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

1965

I am filling up some gas cans at the Conoco station last night and my mind flashes back to 1965.

I am 8 years old. I notice a sign at the gas station that says that gas can only be put in approved containers. I ask my mom what this means. Well, it seems that there are some riots in a place called Watts and some trouble in Kansas City. Some people might use the gas to make a fire or a bomb so you can only get gas in metal cans designed for it. No plastic jugs.

We forgot my jacket at baseball practice at Minor Park on Red Bridge Road. When we went back to get it later than night, there were Army men at the entrance. National Guard. Mom explains. These men have been called up to help the people in case there was bad rioting. We get my jacket. I see lots of Army guys. It was cool.

The next day we are driving through downtown. There are some sirens. My mom makes us get on the floor of the 1964 Ford Falcon. She is worried that there might be a sniper. What is that?, I ask. She says, "it doesn't matter, just stay down."

One summer, one year, in an otherwise uneventful childhood. My children wake up and watch worse every single day. Homicide bombers. Subway bombs. Shootings at Ft. Hood. Times square. It kind of makes a guy wonder what is becoming of this world.

I am glad that I have a friend in Jesus. Someone to trust. Everything is ok. It just is. You can't explain the feeling of peace, but I am so glad that God gives it. All is well.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

tis the season

I love this time of year. The weather is awesome. The flowers are coming out. The windows are open. It is great.

It is also a good time at church. The summer slow down is not here yet. The crowds are very good and it isn't Easter. It is the way that the church ought to feel. It's not a special day, but the place is packed. The doors are just open and people are there.

I think God probably likes that. Just a regular day, no special "everyone has to go to church day," and the place is bustin.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

California

Lately we have been experiencing California weather. I know it is California weather because I lived there for 7 years.

Here is the thing. We need to be thankful for weather like this. People in California are usually not, because it is like this all the time there. 365 days a year. Heck, we used to swim, outdoors in January!

Folks in Kansas City need to really be thankful for this wonderful beautiful awesome weather. August will get here eventually and then winter will be back.

Take a few moments to offer praise today. Let's all find the thankful heart for the beauty, wonder and comfort of God's world.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

feet on the ground

Keep your feet on the ground. Do the simple things now so they don't turn into hard things. Avoiding responsibility only causes trouble later.

Mow your grass. Change the oil in your car every 3,000 miles. Caulk and paint your house. Close the windows when it rains. Put your tools away. Eat the leftovers. Don't run the water while you are brushing your teeth. Always keep a spare car key around. Pay your bills before you go out on the town. Don't engage in a land war in Asia [Princess Bride line].

Save for college. Attend class. Get to work a few minutes early. Make yourself indispensible to the company. Go to church. Be friendly. Don't talk on the cell phone when you are in line somewhere. Give people plenty of privacy in an elevator. Don't feed chocolate to dogs. Don't put off til tomorrow what you can do today.

Keep your feet on the ground. Do the right things. You will be glad that you did later. Good decisions early make for a happy life later.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

I know of a man

I know of a man who gave away his watch the other day. He was coming out of a McDonalds and a young worker on break asked for the time. The man looked at his watch and told the employee the time. As he got into his car, he had a distinct impression to give the young man his watch.

He struggled with the thought. No, he did not want to. But it was only a $30 watch. What if the feeling was from God? He drove around the McDonalds a couple of times trying to figure out what to do. Finally he pulled up next to the young man. He offered the watch. An enormous smile appeared on the face of the McDonalds employee. He accepted the watch as if it were the greatest gift he had ever received.

The person who told me this story, told me that the greatest gift that day was not the receipt of a watch, but the receipt of the joy that he felt when he gave it.

Reader, you probably know this, but we go to church with some pretty cool people.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

thou shall not kill

If all dogs go to heaven, why don't they keep the 10 commandments?

Once again, Lou the dog has committed murder. Rabbit murder. No, more like bunny murder. I was coming down the hill about 5pm, headed for the backyard to mow. I opened the gate just as he found a nest of bunnies in the flower garden. I am telling you, you never saw six little bunnies move so fast in all of your life.

Lou was faster. He had one in his mouth, munching it, flipping it, tossing it like a highschool cheerleader. He dropped that one and headed after another. I hollered at him. LOU!!

Being an obedient dog, he immediately broke off the chase and came to me. Now I am thinking, I paid $300 for this dog, why is he a murderer? I took him inside and went back to the yard work.

One of the joys of being a father is cleaning up the half dead animals that your pets deliver to your life. So I have a baby rabbit with three legs and an open belly. I do what Dad's have to do. I finished him off and disposed of his body. Sorry, but he was only suffering a slow nasty death.

I think I will buy a really big dog to chase Lou around and bite him and throw him into the air.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

you never know

If you ever start feeling smug and spiritual, watch out. Yesterday I woke up with a church hymn running through my head. What a good feeling.

Today I woke up with a Queen song in my head.

Let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

spray product

Several asked about the spray product that I bought to kill the grass growing within my flowers. the name of the product is "over the top" by fertilome. I bought it at Bens on 40 highway. Good guy that Ben. Always glad to lift up someone who treats people well. Tell him I sent you.

your life

Why do I wake up at 5:30 in the morning thinking about this song?

We give thee but thine own.
What ere the gift may be.
All that we have is thine alone,
A trust O Lord from thee.

I am thinking about the gift of your life. It really is not yours. Odd thought. Not your life. Not my life. God's life. God's life given to us. God's life that will one day return to him. What am I doing with it? What am I doing with it?

O Lord, show me someone that I can touch today for you. Amen.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

angels

I am not talking about the heavenly kind, I am talking about those human beings who become angels to us. I ran into a couple of them a few weeks ago and thanked them for being so kind to me. They were a bit surprised to know that I felt this way about them.

Another angel has come out of the woodwork. This person has just become a great encourager to me. They always seem to know when I need a good word. It is like they can read me.

What a blessing. I hope you have people in your life that encourage you. Just as important, I hope that you are an encourager to others. It just takes a minute to offer a kind word, and a good word at the right time, Oh, what a blessing to the soul.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

april showers

Winter lasted for so long this year, I almost forgot what spring looked like. Well, it is here. The trees are leafed out, the tulips have come and gone. The sedem is spreading and so is the creeping Jenny. April showers have brought May flowers.

The flox is in full bloom! Awesome! The English ivy that came from a friend is going to town. The entire back yard is declaring the glory of God.

I even got a special spray from Ben at Ben's lawn and garden on 40 highway. You spray it into the flowers and sedem and it kills the grass growing up within, but does not harm the flowers. Cool.

The Holy Spirit does that too. When we are willing to listen, he eliminates the weeds and unwanted grass growing up within our lives so that the flower of the beauty of our life can be seen.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

accountability

Someone asked that I write about accountability. Probably since I write too much about grace, welcome and acceptance. They are right. Balance is important. Most of life's issues are not either/or but both/and.

Accountability. It is the voice of God that calls you to himself. It is listening in prayer instead of doing what you want. It is giving up your preference or personal comfort for the sake of the mission. It is doing the right when you don't want to. It is getting up and going to work day after day. It is following the home owners association rules. it is keeping in mind the 10 commandments. It is learning to share God's love.

Usually a person cannot do all of this by themselves, so it is important to have those who help hold you accountable. A spouse, a friend, a small group. Someone that you can be totally honest with. Someone that helps you take that fearless moral inventory. Someone that instills in you the desire to be more than you are.

I have a wife that is brutally honest with me. I have a counselor, and a ministry coach. I have 3 layers of bosses. I am in a covenant group with other ministers. I have a few minister friends that I meet regularly with. I have a mentor. Through all of this, God loves us and graciously calls us toward himself.

Accountability is the pursuit of God, and the resistance to our desires so that we can follow him. It is the not my will, but thine be done.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Fear and faith

Fear is paralyzing. Faith is freeing.
Fear seeks the status quo. Faith dreams.
Fear shrinks back. Faith steps out.
Fear is man's. Faith is God's.

Yes, everything that we do, we must do carefully and frugally, but we cannot fall back from God's purpose and expect to experience his blessing. When we choose faith, we join God in the great journey of life.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

heroes of the old testament

This summer we will have a sermon series on heroes of the old testament, or great stories of the old testament. As I have been reading about, and thinking about some of these folks, it is always surprising to be reminded of some of the really despicable things that they did.

Even though they did some very bad things, God loved them and they became the saints of old. This is not to say that we should run around and do whatever we want and God will still love us. But it should make it pretty clear that God does not throw us away when we do bad things. He still loves us and works with us. We are always a part of his family.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

think carefully

Think carefully before you do that. Don't be in a hurry. Don't go off in a huff. Don't react or overreact to whatever has come your way.

Our best decisions are not made on impulse, but after careful, prayerful thought. I am the most proud of my life when I step back, take a deep breath, remember who I am, and then make a decision or take an action.

I hate going to bed when I know that I missed it. I love going to bed at night when my decisions reflect who I really want to be.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

from a discussion last night among friends....

I want a church that will accept me the way that I am, warts and all. I want a church that will see my frailty, my orneriness and still love me. I want a God that understands me through and through, and I am all ok with Him.

I don't want to play any pretend games with my faith. If God is real, he has to be real enough to accept me for who I am. Even when I surprise myself with foolishness, God has to love me. That is the only way this is ever going to work in my world.

Hey, I want that kind of God too. that is awesome. Doesn't everyone want that kind of God?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

a party

Imagine that you got to have 100 of your favorite people together for one night. They don't all know each other, but you know them all. You have enjoyed them as individuals and you have enjoyed them a few at a time, but now they are all together.

What joy! What excitement. You would realize how rich you are in friends. Sometimes I forget, until you see them all together.

The good things and the good people in our lives sometimes get spread out. So spread out that we forget about them. But if all of the good things and people in our lives showed up in one day, wow, we would realize how blessed that we are.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

physics

Its a matter of physics. It is one of Newton's laws. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. An object at rest tends to stay at rest until it is acted upon by some force.

Is your church moving or at rest? Momentum is so important in the life of a church. If your church is moving, help keep it moving. If your church is at rest, help get her going, or atrophy and decline will soon set in.

In your personal life- are you open, learning, changing, moving or are you static, smug and set in your ways? One of the great joys in life is learning something new. The concept of the word "life" implies movement and change. What we miss when we think we know it all. What we miss when we see ourselves as a finished product. Oh, what we gain when we learn the perspective of another. What we gain when we join with others to make the world a better place.

An object in motion tends to stay in motion.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

cell phones

Do you have a kid with a cell phone? They always seem to be on it. Talking, texting. You take your kid out to dinner and all they do is text their friends. You tell them to stop and they get mad.

Then your kids grow up and you are still subsidizing the cell phone. Yet, when I call them, they don't answer. You know what is happening. They are out with their friends, they see the call coming in, see that it is DAD, and push the reject button.

So I am subsidizing a cell phone that the kid won't answer when I call.

Arrrrrruuuuuuuuuugggggggggghhhhhhhh!

Insanity is hereditary. Parents get it from their children.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

a baby

Well, doesn't that beat it all. Last night I dreamed that the Brinkman's were going to have a baby. Ha ha. I don't know how long dreams last but that was a pretty worrisome few minutes of a dream that seemed to go on and on for ever. I would have been 70 when that baby graduated from high school!

I woke up.

I was very glad to wake up. Ahh, relief. It was only a dream.

There are lots of things in life that capture our worry for a time. They take over our lives and eat our lunch. Most of them, I wake up from too. They don't last for ever and life goes on. I shouldn't let the momentary worries take over my life. Soon they will be gone, and while I allow them the lead role in my life, I tend to miss seeing the truly beautiful.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

your self esteem

Everyone is worried about their self-esteem. How we feel about ourselves is very important. It is important that we learn that we are ok, that we are loved.

It is sad when a person allows their self esteem to be crushed by the actions or words of another person. We have to learn to remember that other people do not define us. If someone thinks or says that we are bad, that does not mean that we are bad.

God is the one who speaks life to our self-esteem. He is the one who created us and said that we were good. He placed within us His image. His fingerprint. The spark of the divine. He is the one that "so loved the world." He is the one that deemed you "worth it" when Jesus died on the cross. Now, to add to that, He woke you up today and gave you the breath of life. You are very valuable.

Do not allow anyone to rob you of the truth. You can love yourself because God says that you are loveable.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

lost

It was probably 1973. My Dad and I were driving in the Sierra Nevada Mtns in the eastern part of California. I don't remember where we were going, probably just some day trip. I do remember that I was the navigator.

I encouraged him to take a road on the map that would cut time off of our trip. He agreed, we found the road and off we went. A turn here and a turn there, I was not sure anymore where we were on the map. About 20 miles from where ever we were, we finally met a wall of snow. The pass was not clear, we had to turn around, and I no longer knew where we were.

It was a bit embarrassing, and I was a bit scared. As if we might never find our way back. Dad assured me that we were somewhere, and that sooner or later we would figure it out and be back on the blacktop. He was right. We found our way home.

There are may times in life when we are not sure where we are at or how we got here. What to do? Where to go.

Remember. You may not know what is going on, but God does. You are not as far from home as you think. Everything is ok. We will find the road. With God's help, we always have.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

random visit?

I was driving thru a parking lot yesterday off of 40 highway and saw the "Tree of Life" store. I had a feeling that I should stop and go in.

Inside I found a good price on Rob Bell books and I bought a bunch. I also met the owners Michael and Julie. They were awesome. We had a wonderful talk. They gave me three books. Now, what kind of a place is that where you go to look at books and they give you three.

I am reading one of them, in the first chapter the author talks about two aspects of faithfulness. Active and passive. Active spirituality or faithfulness is you simply making the right choices to do what you think God's will is. Passive spirituality or faithfulness is the learning to receive whatever comes to you as a part of life that God either willed or allowed.

Not that you shouldn't try to improve your lot in life, more that some people just fight everything, and there are some things that are just there, or here for us and there is nothing that we can do about them.

Today I actively choose to be as faithful as I can in each decision. I also passively choose to receive with patience those things that I find less than pleasant. We can't control it all, but we can trust God no matter what.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Clay

In August of 2007, it was my joy to stand up in front of the congregation and tell you that Clay Withers was joining our staff. Yesterday, with mixed emotions, [happy for Clay, sad for us] I had the responsibility of letting you know that Clay is leaving Woods Chapel.

Clay has accepted a position on staff at First Baptist Church in Raytown. That is where he began his work in the ministry of Christ, right out of college. His last Sunday with us will be April 25th. There will be a reception for him that morning.

We love Clay and we will miss Clay. If you know anyone who wants to be an associate pastor who sings like a bird, has a never ending smile and a thick head of hair, give me a call.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

memories

Yesterday I went to a wedding at a house on Ward Parkway. We drove down 63rd street on the way in and down Gregory on the way out. Almost all the way across town. I saw so many things that I had not seen for years.

The turn by the Burns and McDonald building that goes back into the neighborhood by the little blue, where I used to work in my first job out of college. The turn to the zoo. The gym by Swope Park UMC where I used to play basketball. The medical building where we used to take my grandma for her appointments. Brookside. St. John's UMC where I worked many years ago. Meyer Circle. The pond at 62nd and Ward Parkway where I used to ice skate as a kid.

I remember going to the Landings shopping center with my mom. There were life size fiberglass zoo animals that I loved to see and climb on. The Landings seemed huge when I was a kid.

Where does the time go? I am not 9 years old anymore.

So you get home. You thank God for a nice wedding and spending time with friends. You thank God for a safe home and a wonderful family. 52 isn't really bad, it is just different. Life is a mystery and we have so much to be thankful for.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

it is too easy to complain

It is too easy to complain. Today I get to finish preparing for a very unique wedding. I get to finish the sermon. And to add insult to injury, the front of the house is all taken apart due to a water leak. A pretty full Saturday. It all has to get done. Oh, and a friend is leaving. Never a dull moment.

So, it is pretty easy to complain. But then I stop and think.......

I woke up today. I am not sick, I am well. No one in my family is sick. My wife is home. God did not go anywhere. It will all get done, and it will all be ok.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

In His presence

I got up this morning knowing I had to post today. Sometimes this is a good thing other times not. Sometimes I feel I have something to contribute and other days....well.......I suppose it is called writers block. The answer, the only answer is prayer. My days get so full so fast that I often fail to take the time to pray. Or if I pray I find myself in a routine and with a list or agenda....my stuff. And at times, even though I know God is with me I feel the conversation I am having is with myself because I haven't acknowledged Him...I haven't entered into His presence. I fail to pay my respect to Him...to honor him....to sit in silence...in awe......and know I cannot comprehend His being. I fail at times to tell Him how thankful I am for Him and what he has done for me...not my stuff...my health....my family.....what He has done by creating me and forgiving me for all my shortcomings including the times I fail to give Him the honor and respect He is due.

Thank you Lord for prayer.

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

the bird

Well, the bird that visited us for about four days, March 24-26th [see blog posts] has met her demise. I found her in the back yard yesterday near the window that she kept crashing into.

It is hard to figure, what was going thru that Robin's mind. Obviously she marched to a different drummer. It was odd to watch a part of God's creation acting in such a strange way. Maybe she was never going to make it on this earth.

Anyway, she is singing in bird heaven now. And I firmly believe that God understands and celebrates all of His creation, even those that are beyond our earthly comprehension.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

two sisters

Two sisters grew up in the same house. Five years apart. Near as I could tell, they never did anything together. None of us did. So we grew up, grew older, and went on with life. You could not say that we grew apart, we three kids, because we never grew together.

One of the major themes of our adult lives has been trying to figure out our upbringing and make some sort of connection between the three of us. Over the years, we have finally started getting better at it.

I found out something awesome last night. My sisters are going on a cruise together. Two people that barely knew each other, growing up in the same house, are going to spend a week together on a cruise ship.

Healing is cool.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

to celebrate everyone

Well, I think that we ought to celebrate everyone. Every person and every church. There are no Methodist Churches that are bad, I want all of them to succeed. May they all grow bigger than ours. There are plenty of people in Lees Summit, Blue Springs and Independence for all of our churches to do well.

Somewhere along the line, it is easy to forget that we are brothers and sisters. We are all in this for the same reason. We are all on a mission for Christ. Wish the best for your sister churches, even those who are not sure that they are your sisters.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good, and see it for everybody, not just you and yours.

yesterday

The choir was wonderful. The gospel choir was wonderful. There were some awesome songs on the table. The orchestra was wonderful. The band as well. it was all great. The best.

I met some first time visitors and they seemed very glad to have been there. From what i saw, all of you made it a wonderful Easter Sunday.

I guess my favorite thing about yesterday is that I received notes from three teenagers saying that they really appreciated the sermon. Now, when our kids are listening, it doesn't get any more rewarding than that.

Thank you all for being who you are.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

He is risen!

Friday gives way to Saturday, which gives way to Sunday. The suffering and horror of Friday are followed by the black eerie quiet of Saturday. Both set the stage for what will follow.

At first light on Sunday morning, the energizing power of the Holy Spirit entered the tomb and flooded the body of our Lord. He blinked his eyes and stood up. Angels rolled back the stone. The glow of resurrection spewed out of the tomb into a waiting world.

The balance of creation was restored. Yes there would still be hurricanes and earthquakes, but on Easter Sunday, after a very quiet Saturday, the birds are singing again and all creation is back on track. For the first time in several thousand years, for the first time since the garden, man's relationship with God is made whole.

We did not do it. We could not do it. God did it because of His love. He did it because He is love. Grace. Grace made the way.

Every Christan should wake this day with a joy, a JOY! God has restored the relationship. Jesus is alive. Spread the word.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Black Saturday

If the name Good Friday seems like two words that don't go together very well, Black Saturday seems like a perfect fit.

We don't know anything from Scripture about Black Saturday, except that Jesus was in the grave.

I wonder what that day was like. In my pondering, this is what I imagine: The sun may be shining, but that is about all. There is not a stitch of wind. The world is eerily quiet. Not a bird utters a peep. They don't even fly, they just sit on their nests and wonder what is happening in the world. No insects buzzing. All of creation has stopped. There is something in the equilibrium of the world that has been disturbed.

Humans that venture out, notice that there is something very different about this day. They remember that the sky turned black for three hours yesterday afternoon and they wonder if there is a connection. Those that witnessed the crucifixion may be wondering if they didn't participate in a huge mistake. What has happened to the world?

No fish will bite. The ocean currents have stopped. There are no tides, no waves, the sea is perfectly calm. It looks like you could almost just walk right off of the beach and out onto the water. If there are clouds in the sky, since there is no wind, they do not move. The sky is the same all day, as if painted there.

The world is broken. Something is wrong. All creation has been put on pause. Jesus is in the grave.

Black Saturday.

Good Friday

Good Friday. Good because why? Jesus suffers and dies. Suffering and death doesn't sound very good.

Good Friday. It's good for us. Because in the death of Jesus, a relationship is made right. Our sins are forgiven and our relationship with God is restored, healed.

Pause sometime today and say "thank you." To say thank you to God is the beginning of living the Christian life.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

serenity prayer

One of the best prayers of all time, and a nice reminder.

"Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

I guess the prayer for peace and serenity is something that I need to do more of. Hey some things are just beyond my control. Lord give me peace. And He does.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

be yourself

"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken" - Oscar Wilde

There are good things about you and less than good. Let's not hide from each other. We all miss the mark from time to time. No point in trying to pretend that it isn't so. That is the wonderful thing about friends- they laugh with you and cry with you, they love you, even in your less than stellar moments.

Be yourself, no one is fooled when we try otherwise.
Real people don't care, they love you for who you are.
hmmm- by the way, so does God.

it's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

What happened to you?

What happened to you that you think the way that you do? Were you hurt by your parents growing up? Were you taken advantage of, as a teenager?

What happened to me, that makes me think the way that I do? Was I hurt in the past? Did I face deep loneliness? Is there something that just won't line up for me in my life? Do these themes color the way that I look at the world?

Do I resist others ideas because of my own insecurities? Do I feel or express disgust for those who see the world differently than I do? Do I wish for a better world, but feel totally powerless to find it?

Friends, usually when we are at odds with another, it is because we are seeing the world so differently. I don't think that there are good folks, and bad folks, we just see the world differently.

Would our opinion of that other person change if we took a few moments to walk in their shoes?
Do we even have any idea where their shoes have been? Maybe if we stop measuring everything by how it affects me, we might understand more clearly the perspective of others.

It is hard to see the splinter with this board in my eye.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

FYI

In the Saturday FYI section of the Kansas City Star there were a bunch of ads for churches. They all say the same thing. Hey, its Holy Week, come to our church. We did not have an ad in the Star. I guess we feel like it is too expensive for the return.

What we did end up with was a big splash on the front page of the section. A big article about the prom dress ministry. The article was awesome, and for that matter so is the ministry. Over 800 girls were helped over the weekend!

So, here is my point. I would rather have activity than advertisements. Your ministry is your best advertisement. If there is something going on in your church, you don't need to advertise. Your people will be excited, and they will tell their friends. There is an old saying, "those who say, don't know. Those who know, don't have to say."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

And then there were none

Big twelve teams. None left, except for Baylor. Not that they don't matter, they do, but the teams that I am the most familiar with in the big 12 are all gone now. KU, MU and K-State have now all bowed out of the NCAA Tournament.

It is not as interesting to me now that there are no local teams left. Oh well, it was all great while it lasted. By the way, if I can root for Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Baylor, KU, MU and K-State, so can you. They are all just good kids anyway. Do you wish leukemia on any of them? I hope not. Will they be welcome in heaven if you get a vote?

I hope so. Every team may not be your team, but every person is your person. Let's keep in mind that they are all people before they are Tigers, Jayhawks or Wildcats.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

turn the page

The older I get, the more things seem to be changing. Last night we visited an apartment that it appears my oldest daughter will be moving into very soon. My other daughter signed a lease yesterday to move into an apartment in August.

And I look at my wife, and I wonder how all of this came to be. I remember when the girls were babies, now, look at them. All grown up and beautiful. And smart, O so smart.

I know that this is what parents are supposed to do. Raise them up to be functioning adults. Kids are supposed to move out. Everyone tells me, "don't worry, they will be back." Maybe so, but we seem to be passing into another dimension, another stage of life. But, its all good. Just time to turn the page.

Sometimes we have to let go of how it was. It will never be the same again. That's ok, and we need to know that its ok, because it is coming and you better get ready. We just don't get to shape reality. Sometimes you get what you want, and sometimes you get what you get. Period. Anybody that says otherwise is not telling you the truth. The sooner that we understand and accept that, the happier we will be.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

persistence

The bird is still here. The bird from Wednesday has never left. She is still flying into the window, to the great enjoyment of the cats. For three days not this bird has crashed repeatedly into the window.

And I think of the word persistence. The story of the persistent widow from Luke 18. I have to admit, I struggle with this story. The idea that God would give someone something simply because they would not give up. It seems so contrary to much of the rest of the scripture, and I certainly do not see the principle being played out in life. People just don't always get what they want, no matter how hard they try.

But the bird won't give up. Maybe there are times that we shouldn't either.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

who knows

"Who knows what tomorrow brings? In a world that few hearts survive." Joe Cocker

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4:13-15

I am guilty. I have rolled out of bed, day after day, expecting to have 24 hours at my disposal. But sometimes, God surprises you. Something happens that reminds you that you are mortal and you are not in control.

We should be thankful for every moment. Every day. If you have been on auto-pilot, stop. Give thanks. Appreciate the gift of this day. And be thankful for every person who gives you a shoulder to lean on, a hand along the way or a pick me up when you are down.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the door is closed

Sometimes the door [or window] is closed. There is something that we wanted to do. We could see it, we could taste it, but we just couldn't make it happen.


Take the bird who yesterday at about 5pm, spent one hour flying into my living room window. At first I thought she was trying to get somewhere to make a nest. As if she could see the fan in the center of the room and thought it looked like a safe place to raise a gaggle of robins. At any rate, this bird flew into my window, at least 30 times. She just did not understand that it wasn't going to happen the way she wanted.


Now, her efforts did win her the attention of two cats who are not much smarter than the bird. They immediately thought that the robin looked like lunch. They climbed to their perch and watched as the robin sat in the tree. When the bird would fly into the window, the cats would try and pounce. The bird would not give up, and neither would the cats.

Sometimes everybody wants something that they can't have. It just isn't going to happen. Try as you might, there are forces in play that we don't even understand. Eventually, when our heads get sore enough from flying into the closed window, we will get it, and move on. Sometimes you have to trust God, and just understand that it is not going to work out the way you wanted it to. Read the end of Hebrews 11.


The bird finally moved on to make a nest elsewhere. The cats snacked on some Purina and then returned to their napping. We too will be ok, even when the doors and windows are closed. There are other opportunities.


By the way, two cats are free to a good home.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

being wrong

Being wrong is one thing, admitting that you were wrong is another. All of us are wrong from time to time. When we refuse to recognize that, the chasm grows wider. Yes, we protect our ego, but at what expense? When we stop being defensive and admit that we were wrong, the other party relaxes. They actually gain respect for us for doing so.

Odd, sometimes we try to protect ourselves by not thinking that we may be wrong. This actually hurts us. Relationships are healed when we fess up, take responsibility and just admit it.

Even if you think you are only 5% wrong in a situation, isn't it better to own that, and save the relationship? Being defensive is a sign of weakness. Taking responsibility is a sign of strength.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

My way

Frank Sinatra sang, "I did it my way......." So did Elvis and Jay-Z. I guess everybody wants to do it their way.

I think it is human nature to want it our way, and to do it our way whenever we can. Many people feel entitled to a life where things go their way. A sense of entitlement is a dangerous attitude to embrace.

Well, I don't know about you, but I notice plenty of times when whatever it was did not go my way. I would not have done that particular thing that way. I would not been in favor of that other thing. My preference would have been something other than what happened.

Well, life is tough. Trusting God is not about getting my way. It is about trusting God. Period. I can't control everything and I just have to learn to relax and enjoy life. It is still good, and often the very things that I was worried about turn out to be ok, even though they went someone else's way.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

March 21st

Well, I am back. Thanks to Lion's Den Man and the Young Shepherd for posting in my absence. Several asked what I was up to, if I was "ok." Yes I am ok. I was on a 3 day trip with a bunch of guys. No worries, no concerns, it was very relaxing. It was also warm there.

So, I come home, and were did this snow come from? Well, in case you were wondering, yes, we are having church tomorrow. 8am, 9:05, 10:10 and 11:15. We don't close. The lot will be plowed and the sidewalks cleared.

By the way, don't worry about the snow. It will all be gone in a couple of days. I am not even going to shovel the drive because it will all melt very soon. The back of Winter is broken. Spring is just around the corner.

Being gone sometimes is good, because it makes you appreciate home.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Speaking of Dreams...

Last night, or sometime early this morning, I dreamed that Jeff did not like my recent posts and deleted them. I did not eat any pizza yesterday.

(If you don’t know what I’m talking about, see the post on Monday, March 15.)

I have been dreaming a variation of this dream for years. Someone is not happy with my work. I am not good enough.

So when I wake up, I work harder. I do more. I say yes to everything anybody asks me to do, with little regard for my own emotional energy, whether I am gifted in that area, my family, or my social life. This cannot be good. I follow a God that freed the Israelites from slavery. In the wilderness, he instituted the Sabbath -- a day of total rest and relaxation. Because a bunch of slaves need to be told to rest. All they know is a life based on output, based on production, based on what they have accomplished.

If they stop working, they’re not sure if they’re worth anything anymore.

And God says, “You have always been worth everything.”

Jesus says, “Here, I’ll prove it.”

So my value comes from the fact that God created me – absolutely on purpose. My value comes from the fact that he would die for me, even though I have completely messed it up and missed the whole point. In Christ, there is a new life. This life is not based on “what have you done for me lately?” but on what Jesus did for you lovingly.

Now, I might create something I don’t love, but I won’t die for it. I would only die for something that I love – something that has value. This is one of the beautiful things about the willing sacrifice of Christ. God has come into the world to prove his love and prove our worth. He never had to do it, but he so wanted to.

My prayer for myself, and my prayer for you is this. May you go to sleep tonight knowing how much you are worth. May you lie down in green pastures. May he lead you beside quiet waters. Even though you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death and slavery, God is with you. God will comfort you. Surely, goodness and love will follow you all the days of your life, and you will live with in the comfort of God forever.

As Phillip Yancey says, “Nothing can make God love you more, and nothing can make God love you less.”

Grace Alone, right?

Go in Peace.

With love,

a young shepherd.

you are the Church.

What if the Church is not just somewhere you go on Sundays? What if the Church is not just something we do once a week? What if the Church is who we are every minute of our lives? What if…?

These are not new questions, but they are the kinds of questions I lay awake at night thinking about.

What did Jesus have in mind when he told Peter to “feed my sheep?” I doubt he was concerned with whether Peter would establish a building where we go for one or two hours a week. I doubt Jesus was thinking of religious institutions, denominations, and sects. I doubt Jesus was worried about how spiritual Peter would feel. Jesus simply gave Peter a mission that would define Peter’s entire life, not just his actions on some Holy Day.

Friends, you don’t go to church; you are the Church. Everywhere you go, you are the Church. Everywhere you go, Christ is in you, wanting to use you to transform the world around you. This is the Kingdom of Heaven. As Brian McLaren explains, in using the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven,” Jesus was using language that was easily accessible to his listeners. They expected their leader to establish a certain kind of kingdom – a political one, a kingdom that is very much of this world. But in Jesus’ Kingdom, the last will be first. In Jesus’ Kingdom, the poor and the hungry are blessed. In his Kingdom, prodigals are embraced. Outcasts are invited. Enemies are loved.

Jesus’ Kingdom was out of this world. It was Heavenly. A Kingdom of Heaven.

Nowadays, he might have said “The Family of Heaven” or “The Network of Heaven.” Those are terms we can understand. Whatever you call it, it is about working to restore God’s Creation to the way he intended for it to be. Whatever you want to call it, Jesus wants to bring it down to Earth and he wants to do it through you.

This is the purpose of the Church. We have the opportunity to change the world around us, one person at a time. Maybe we don’t think we can change the world. Maybe we don’t think we’re strong enough. Let’s read the scriptures together. I’ll show you the kind of people God uses to change the world – a chronically self-doubting Moses; an adulterer and a murder, David; a ragtag group of fishermen and tax collector disciples; and a terrorist by the name of Saul.

I believe these Bible stories are important to read and know. When I read them, I say “if God can use them, he can certainly use me.” And so we start getting the point – hey, maybe it’s not about how good we are at all. It’s about how good God is. It’s not a story about us. This is God’s story.

And we get to live out God’s story every day. It’s a story of redemption. It’s a story of love. It’s a story of grace. It’s a story with a happy ending, and we get to be a part of it.

God has a place for you in his ongoing story. I promise.

With love,

a young shepherd.

Cold Water

Nothing good has ever happened to me before noon, so I prefer to sleep in when I can. (If the first line didn’t give it away, this is not Jeff writing. I understand he reads 300 pages, changes the brake pads on his truck, posts this blog, and cooks a three-course breakfast for Cathy before sunrise.)

I like to sleep. Every morning is a titanic battle of my will to get something done before lunchtime and my passion for the snooze button. But I have learned something.
If I can make it to the bathroom sink, I will win the battle and stay awake. I turn the knob all the way to the right until the water is as cold as it gets, cup my hands and take the plunge. When the cold water hits my face, I am wide awake. In that icy instant, my heart skips a beat and my brain becomes a little clearer. It is only then that I am ready to face the day (the coffee helps, too.)

For many years of my life, I was asleep to the world around me. But there have been splashes of cold water in my face. Something I see wakes me up. Something somebody says. I start listening. Yes, I am waking up. I am being saved from sleeping through my whole life.

Jesus said, “Let those who have ears hear.” It has taken a great deal of cold water for me to wake up and listen.

Here is some cold water that has been splashed in my face recently. In Tony Campolo’s sermon, It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Coming, he says the following. “While you were sleeping last night, thirty thousand children under the age of twelve died of either starvation or diseases related to malnutrition, and we weren’t shocked over that. We’re not depressed over that. We’re not crying over that. And it happens every day, every day, every day.” [Emphasis mine]

Did you go to a Chiefs game this year? They averaged 60,000 in attendance. Picture that crowd. If you haven’t seen it in person, you’ve seen it on TV. And while we slept peacefully the last two nights, that’s how many children died from just not having enough food.

60,000 children dead while we sleep. Isn’t it time for us to wake up?

There are two ways we generally respond to a message like this. Either we feel guilty for what has happened, or we become passionate about what could happen. (I guess there’s also a third response – you could just get mad at me for bringing it up, but I assume you’re all giving me the benefit of the doubt because I really do love you and mean well.) And I also don’t want you to feel guilty. But if we are serious about following Christ, we might start getting that invigorating but panicked feeling of having cold water splashed in our face. Guilt is a horrible reason to get out of bed. May you awake with passion!

I realize that’s just one story. Granted, poverty is one BIG story. As Campolo explains, there are 2,000 verses of the Bible that talk about the poor. God loves the poor, and so should we.

But maybe, for you, there’s another story, another challenge, another issue that pours cold water on your face and cold chills down your spine? Will you share it with us? What has God placed on your heart? What passion has he given you? May you pour it out today all around you (starting by telling us about it.)

Every morning, I am faced with the choice to keep sleeping, or let the cold water wake me up. When you find your cold water in life, I hope you let it pour down on you like rain. Let it wake you up. Let it break your heart. And take those wide-open eyes and that broken heart and never go back to sleep again.

When your church sees your passion, we will wake up, too. When you are weak, we will help you. When you are weak, Christ will strengthen you.

May you be baptized in freezing, cold water today.

With love,

a young shepherd.

run with this

Yesterday I came home and my wife handed me a gift. Not from her, but from a friend of mine that asked her to give it to me. Very cool and very timely. The gift came as a surprise, but if you knew the person that gave it, you wouldn't be surprised. That's just one of the great things about friendships....people that you let into your life...that you let inside....that you let see how you tick......they know a part of you that others don't..... they have seen a piece of the iceberg that is below the surface.

Some, who see this, exploit it and that is probably why some of us have a fear of letting others see that side of us. More so, I believe people value having that kind of relationship and enjoy the bond created through sharing. I didn't expect this gift. It was like getting that one gift at Christmas that was not on "the list" but was perfect. We all could do more of that sort of thing for those we care for....a gift...a note...a phone call....or an unexpected invite to eat or have a cup of coffee.

We need to remember this for friends and loved ones. And we need to remember not keep score...you can get even....but don't keep score......that is when a friendship becomes one based on expectation and soon dies. So take this message and run with it today. Someone needs to hear from you.

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

to welcome criticism

To welcome criticism is a holy thing. To not be bothered when others challenge you is a thing of the spirit. The Spirit welcomes questions and looks to resolve disputes.

There is never anything to be gained by being defensive. Listen. Hear them. You may learn something.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

pizza

Well, yesterday at church I talked about Pilate's wife's dream, and how some dreams are based on last night's pizza, some spring from our neurotic upbringing, and some seem to be a word from God.

Last night, this is my dream.

I am driving the truck and I go off the road and through a field, up onto an old railroad bridge. I am stuck in the truck, suspended hundreds of feet above a deep gorge. A woman who follows in a small car actually falls through the floor of the bridge inbetween the tracks. Long fall, bad news for her.

I am able to leave the truck and walk down the rails, off the bridge to the field. There I join the team that I am working with repairing homes. I call my wife, I call my mother, for some reason, they are unable to find me or help me. At the end of each work day I return to my truck and sleep in the back.

Finally my cell phone dies and I run out of water. Then somehow I get the truck in reverse and get off the bridge. I am driving back through the field wondering how I did that, and if it was that easy to get off the bridge, why didn't I do it sooner?

I wake up. Dream over. Now here is the question. Is that dream from last night's pizza, my neurotic upbringing, or a word from God? Well, I don't really sense a great meaning in this dream and I did eat some pretty good left over Tim's pizza last night, so I am going to blame that.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

brakes

Well, yesterday I replaced the brake pads on the pickup. Yahoo! I am excited. I got it done and saved about $150. And boy, they were as bad as I have ever seen. The ceramic pads were delaminating and separating from the metal part of the pad. Got them done just in time. Here is the bad news......while lying on the garage floor underneath the truck, and horsing around those big tires, I have pulled something in my back.

So, save $150 from the mechanic, and turn around and spend it on the doctor. At least I can drive to the doctor with good brakes. That is, if I can pull myself up into the cab of the truck.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

in between

I was talking to a friend yesterday about how most of life is lived in between. Not in the valley, and not on the mountain top. In between.

We are not sure what to do with the in between times. We are glad that they are not terrible, but we also wish for a bit more of the mountain top.

Well, sorry about that, but most of your life is going to be lived in the middle, in between. Nothing is really great, but nothing is terrible. Nothing is earth shattering, but nothing is pitiful either.

We live in the world of average. Making the normal times work. That is ok. Get over it. Most people live in a world that is a bit of a struggle all the time. A struggle to live, a struggle to love, a struggle.

Celebrate the times of normalcy. They are ok.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Hold the tongue.

Sometimes you just have to hold your tongue. I want to offer some advice to a friend. I want to steer a staff person. I want to make a comment to a church member. I want to say something to one of my children.

Something inside of me tells me that I should keep quiet, even though I want to make the statement. I have learned as I grow old that keeping my mouth shut is sometimes a very good thing to do.

Let it go. Let them go. See what they do. They are not ready to hear from you. You are, I am only going to make it worse. Silence is golden. It is not that big of a deal. I don't have to comment on everything.

Now that I am released from fixing everything, I can see the good of this day for what it is. Let them go. Relax. God is with them.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

sisters

I have two sisters. When we were growing up, we never really did anything together. We some how grew up in the same house but never knew each other. It is hard to figure. People that are bound by blood, that you would think could be life long friends, aren't really connected. 17 years together in the same house and you aren't even connected. Thankfully, this has changed in our adulthood. We have worked hard on catching up, and I am very pleased to have had the chance to get to know them.

Flash forward to the next generation. A boy and two girls grow up in the same house. My house, our house, this house. I have always hoped and prayed that my children would have a different experience than I did, and that they would be connected and care for each other. I have told them their whole life that this brother or sister will always be your brother or sister. "Never leave your wing man." Cathy and I have tried to teach them to care for one another and to be invested in each other's lives.

Yesterday was Scott's 19th birthday. Last night his college friends in Pittsburg KS threw a party for him. Yesterday afternoon, Alli and Jenny packed their bags and put on their party clothes. They drove the two hours down to Pittsburg to be there for Scott. Scott was so excited that his sisters would make the effort. The sisters were glad to do it. Their Dad was never so proud.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.