Bill Gates rules for living

Again, as requested from the sermon on Sunday. There are several versions of this on the web. http://www.snopes.com/ will tell you that Bill Gates is not the author of these rules. However, our own Wally H told me on Sunday that he personally heard Bill Gates deliver these on television.

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

Bill Gates rules for life-
>RULE 1-Life is not fair - get used to it.

>RULE 2-The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

>RULE 3-You will NOT make $50,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car and phone, until you earn all three.

>RULE 4-If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

>RULE 5-Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a
>different word for burger flipping - they called it opportunity.

>RULE 6-If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your
>mistakes, learn from them.

>RULE 7-Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are
>RULE 8-Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

>RULE 9-Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

>RULE 10-Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work.

Biblical principles of character

I have had a few requests to publish the lists from Sunday's sermon. Here is the list about Biblical principles of Character.

What are some biblical principles of character?

Principle 1…Respecting authority- means they have right to direct & define our actions
-If you are in trouble at school you are in trouble at home
-Honor your father and mother- it’s one of the top ten
-The authorities that exist have been established by God- Romans 13

Principle 1.5 discipline is a good thing-
-Hebrews 12:6 the Lord disciplines those whom he loves
-Proverbs 29:15 "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother."

Principle 2…Treating others as we want to be treated-
-common courtesy - saying please and thank you.
-Mt 7;12 - Do unto others
-Romans 12-10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Principle 3…we are in this together…Everyone pulls together so we can do what needs to be done-
-Doing chores
-Acts 2- the early Christians held all things in common

Principle 4--taking responsibility
-Being willing to work for what I get
-working hard to solve problems
-if a man would not work, neither would he eat 2 Thessalonians 3:10

Principle 5 living within your means
-avoid living on credit-
-avoid the desire for instant gratification
-the borrower is slave to the lender proverbs 22:7

Principle 6…Humility

-James 4- God resists the proud give grace to the humble
-the American dream is a dream, not a birth right
-Understand that everything is a privilege
-the world does not owe me anything.
-You are not entitled to anything- but the will and purpose of God
-not my will, but thy will be done- Jesus in the garden

Principle 7 - do the right thing
My Dad liked to say:
"The right thing to do is the right thing to do, even if you are the only one doing it. The wrong thing to do is the wrong thing to do, even if everyone is doing it."

Proverbs 14:29 "He who is impulsive exalts folly."
Proverbs 22:1 "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

Principle 8- Dependence upon God-
-thou shall have no other Gods before me- its one of the top ten
-the greatest commandment; thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul mind and strength.
-We need to find an attitude of Gratitude, thankfulness
-We need to see that the church is central- when your kids are 30 and they are facing tough times, the values that they get from church are going to be far more important to them than what they are getting from extra curricular activities.

In conclusion:
you reap what you sow- 2 Corinthians 9:6

Since these principles are considered common sense, you’d think they would be a little more common.

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

Do you hate me?

That was the question that one of my children asked. "Do you hate me?" It about breaks your heart. The child did not ask because I was mad, but because they knew that they had stepped outside of the boundaries. They were feeling bad, and since they have friends that throw people away at the drop of a hat, they wondered if their Dad would throw them away. This is how the discussion went....
- - -
Frankly, this is an opportunity for us to have a good talk. There are usually consequences to stepping outside of the boundaries, but let us make one thing clear. Your father will never hate you.

In this life, everyone is worried about being thrown away, rejected. Friends do it to us, yes sometimes parents do throw their children away. But not here. Not in this house. This is one place that is going to be different. We will always be your parents and you will always be loved by us.

You will never have to worry, no matter what you do, about being thrown away or hated. Now, let's get back to the consequences of that boundaries violation.
- - -
Friends, we have a chance with our families, and with one another, to bite our tongues, control our anger and to model unusual grace. Perseverance. God's unlimited grace as given to us sets the example of how we can treat one another. Grace is amazing. Life always goes better when we deliver it.

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

extra credit

One of the least attended Sundays of the year is today. It is the last Sunday of the year, the Sunday between Christmas and New Years.

There are many good reasons to skip church, and some real lame, selfish ones too. Here is what I have always wondered about missing church: what would I have received if I had taken the time to be there? A hug, a smile, an important thought, a new friend, a sense of inspiration, that one little nudge that pushed me over the edge to the next level of growth in my life.

I want to encourage each of you to be in church every time that you possibly can. It is good for us and good for our children. Believe me, when your kids are older, their participation in church is going to be far more important that how many video games they played or how many extra-curricular things they were involved in.

Anyway, if I were giving out extra credit, everyone who comes to church today would get it. Now, since we live by faith and are saved by grace, there is no extra credit. But, maybe, just maybe, today is the day when you find something or hear something at church that will change your life.

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

leaders

Be careful how much stock you place in leaders. Remember, the goal of any endeavor is not the leader, but it is the goal itself. Leaders are a means to an end, they are not the end. Think about that for a minute.

A pastor is not the answer, a pastor only points the way. A Christian writer or TV preacher is not the way, He or She is only a finger pointing at the moon, they are not the moon. Their interpretation of Scripture is theirs, not necessarily God's. Scripture itself does not point toward itself, but it points toward the goal, a relationship with God.

Leaders are good, usually. Christian books are good, usually, Biblical reading is always good, Biblical interpretation is subjective. All of these things must point us toward a deeper relationship with God.

If a leader is manipulating you or guilting you, if someone is using Scripture as a hammer, beware. Truth is always freeing. The truth will set you free. It does not put great loads on our backs or beat us to death. Even truth that hurts, if it comes from God, is accompanied by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, which is a sweet, loving, grip on the heart which draws a person towards our heavenly Father.

If it is not helping you be free of religiosity, it may not be spiritual. If he or she is not pointing you towards a relationship with Jesus, watch out! An apple does not fall far from the tree. Is joy and celebration growing in your life? Is God's love filling you more and more? If not, what are you following? Test the spirits to see if they are from God. Wisdom is proved right by her children.

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

today

Whatcha doing today?

Returning Christmas gifts? Getting together with family and friends? Enjoying a relaxing holiday? Playing with new toys? Cleaning up after the big party?

Today I am going to visit a few of your friends, members of our church. All three are in KUMC.
One is having b cancer surgery, one is having a second surgery for throat cancer, the third has ablastic anemia and needs a bone marrow transplant or... that person is 19 years old.

I am not writing this so that you will feel sorry for me because I am going to the hospital on the 26th of December, this is a very good use of my day. Normally other pastoral care staff would make these visits, but it is the day after Christmas and I want them to be with their families.

I am writing this to you today so that we can all keep our lives in perspective. While you are waiting in a long line to return something today, while you are idling in a long line of traffic, while you are going into the movie theatre, while you are picking up the house or getting ready to go out, please remember these our friends. They are facing some difficult moments during "the most wonderful time of the year." Please pray for them and give thanks to God for his many blessings.

I don't mean to bring you down, but there are always people around us that need to be lifted up.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Merry Christmas

On Christmas Day, I am still a big kid. When I was growing up, I could not sleep. We were so excited for the presents. My sisters and I would wake up at 4am and play monopoly and mousetrap. My Dad had made a rule that no one could go downstairs until 7am.

When I got my own place and my own family, the 7am rule went away. I am still the first one up. 5:20 this morning, I wake up and it takes about 20 seconds for your brain to realize that it is Christmas Day. I pop up, and here I am! I am going to make a pot of coffee and then put on the Christmas music very loud. I am going to wake them up and make them rise and shine. It is Jesus' birthday after all.

If the fun used to be the presents, now it is just being with my wife and kids. When I woke Cathy up 10 minutes ago and tried without success to get her out of bed, I told her "thanks." Thanks for every Christmas, thanks for every day, thanks for our family.

Thank you. Thank you for every pound of love that I have received from you. At Woods Chapel, love shows up in pounds, not ounces. Thank you for loving and supporting your church. Thank you for dreaming big and reaching out in ministry in the name of Jesus Christ. You have made some amazing things happen.

It is a beautiful day in God's world, wake up you sleeper! Anybody want to play monopoly?

Merry, Merry Christmas!!

and I will post a bit

In 43 minutes it all begins.

I am so grateful! I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a pastor. To stand up on this great day and proclaim the love of God thru Jesus Christ our Lord.

I can feel the presence of God at our church today! It is awesome! Thank God, praise Him for He is good!

I so look forward to seeing you later today. Unless you are out of town, then Merry Christmas to you, wherever you may be!

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

it has arrived

After worrying most of the last few weeks about Christmas eve, after heavy concern last night and today, the worry has now lifted and the Christmas spirit has finally arrived. The staff is all prepared for tomorrow. The sanctuary is all set up, the volunteer briefing meeting went well, and the sermon is done.

Tomorrow I will wake up, God willing, and see all of you wonderful people at church to celebrate the birth of our Lord. I am posting before I go to bed, I won't have time to post tomorrow. But my worries are gone, I plan to sleep like a baby tonight and celebrate tomorrow.

Life is good. Glory to the new born king. Please be praying with me that our worship services tomorrow will inspire the faithful and reach many people with the good news of faith in Jesus Christ.

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

I am nervous

Ok, here is the truth. I am nervous. It is the most wonderful time of the year and I am nervous. I always am. It took me years to not be nervous on Sunday morning. Now, when we have big crowds. I am sick to my stomach. I am an introvert in an extrovert's world. Most of the things that I do as a pastor, I had to learn how to be comfortable with.

It is not that I don't like Christmas, I do. I love it. It is that being around lots of people, all stuffed in together, makes me a nervous Nellie. I am nervous now, just thinking about it.

I will be glad when midnight hits on Christmas eve. It will be quiet again. Calm. Peace on earth. But, today we are making final preparations for six services and tomorrow is the busy day. Let's all celebrate with joy the birth of Jesus. But, please give room to the introverts in the place.

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

nice guy

I am a nice guy. I think I am. I try to be. I hope I am. So much of my understanding of the Christian faith condenses down to living out the principles of our faith. Being touched by the cross in such a way that I become a person of love and grace. 1 Corinthians 13 makes it really clear that if we have all of the religious stuff, but don't have love, we don't get it.

So, I hope I am nice to you and I hope that you think I am nice. It is at the core of who we are as Christians. Even when we have to do things that are unpopular (and I have to do such things sometimes} they can be done with kindness and grace.

So, last night, the Jazz band concert was awesome! Super. Wonderful. Several, many people commented on what a nice guy I was to allow this in our church.

The concert was awesome! Why wouldn't I allow it in our church? What pastor would not allow such a thing? People today are not looking for religiosity, they are looking for relevance and joy. The Christian faith does not have to be something that is all balled up in seriousness, guilt and ritual. Sometimes we miss the joy because we are taking ourselves way too seriously.

Remember, Jesus laughed, told stories and was filled with joy. He went to parties, drank wine and was accused of being a sinner. I think He would have enjoyed the concert last night. In fact, I think that God was pleased with the presentation (if I might be so bold as to speak for God- you know, even preachers need to be very cautious about this- we are not as smart as we think we are.)

So, I hope you enjoyed the concert. Seemed like about 500 people did to me. But don't worry about thanking me for allowing it, why shouldn't we allow it? Enjoy yourself. Kick up your heels. Celebrate life. It is all good.

And if you want to tell me I am a nice guy, well, ok, thanks. How we treat each other is pretty important. I love you all.

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

no need for it

I went to the mall yesterday. So did everyone else. After all of the warnings about a slow shopping season, we all decided to go to the mall yesterday. I only went to meet my wife for lunch. My shopping has been done for weeks. Ha!

After we ate lunch, I am trying to figure out the best way out of the mall parking lot. This is no simple matter. I was in front of Applebees on the north side. I had tried a couple of approaches to the north and they were really backed up. I decided that the most successful idea might be to go all the way around to the back side over by Dillards and then Macy's and get in line to turn right onto 39th. It worked ok, I did get home finally.

The thing that is stuck in my mind is what the woman did that walked out in front of the cars by Sears. Without any real sense of where the cars were, she started out into the traffic lane with her 13-14 year old daughter. There was no crosswalk. The real problem came when, instead of walking straight across the traffic lane, she started walking diagonally through the cars.

I just stopped and watched her. I did not smirk, but I was thinking that she wasn't helping the situation. When she got by my truck, she raised her fist, turned her head toward me and shouted the Californy Howdy. I was surprised at her actions. I did not reply. I am sure that her daughter was really proud of her in that moment.

I am not sure why she did what she did. Maybe I did something wrong. Maybe she used to go to our church. The sad thing is, I have not been able to get her nasty act out of my head. There was no need for it. No need. No need at all.

And so it is with most of our negative behavior, there just is no need for it. Nothing is gained, all we do is hurt people. May each of us redouble our efforts to engage in random acts of kindness, there just is no need for the other.

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

mystery

None of us are as smart as we think. A little bit of seminary, a little bit of listening to a particular preacher, reading certain books, studying this or that. We can easily think that we are in the "know." Fact is, God is mysterious. Bigger than, wider than our ability to understand Him.

As soon as we think we understand God, what we have actually done is condensed him down to fit into the human mind. It is a bit insulting to the Almighty, I think.

We stand in awe at a sunset, at the Grand Canyon, at the miracle of conception. We are left wondering how love, knowledge and the soul fit into the scheme of things.

God reminded Job pretty directly in the last few chapters of the book of Job. The Psalmist is repeatedly enthralled by the God who is bigger than, other than, and totally amazing.

" 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" Psalm 8

God does all these things so that we will stand in awe and worship him. We find our salvation, not in being right, but in being connected to the Almighty, Mysterious God.

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

one more time

One more time with comments on evil, and then we will move on.

One person commented:
"God would not design an entity that would punish his children for eternity if they didn't act right. This notion of a being, that we have humanized to have horns and a tail (or whatever) and reign over certain people souls for eternity doesnt fit in my logic."

My comment on that: Yes, God did not create an entity that was evil. All of creation was good. A few angels chose to rebel and become evil, just as some people choose to rebel and become evil. Hitler was not born evil, he chose a path that led there. And, Yes, we have to stop humanizing the devil and giving him powers that are equal to God.

A comment came in on this post that could not have said it better.......
"Paul's words in Romans 8:37-39 filled my mind. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. . . nor angels. . . will be able to seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. I consider if Paul should or could have included "nor myself" when talking about being seperated from Christ Jesus? We are our own worst enemy or so it has been said. Peace :)"

If I hear what this brother is saying, it is that we have created theologies that sometimes give evil more room than should be there, with the result that we separate ourselves from God.

Alright, I am growing weary of thinking about all of this, which is part of my point. Christians should focus on the goodness and glory of God. His love never fails! We are in relationship with, and embraced by a loving father!

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

a little bit more on evil

Well, I was a bit surprised, but I should not have been, about the numerous and varied responses that came in on yesterday's post.

Let me say that I love the fact that our church has a great variety of people in it with varied beliefs. This is what heaven will be like. Republicans, Democrats, rich, poor, progressive, liberal, conservative, all people that call on the name of Jesus will be there and I am glad that our church welcomes all and that we can learn from each other.

Follow the link below to some more thoughts that I have on a Christian theology of evil.

http://www.jeffbrinkman.com/TH_ChristianTheol.html

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

random devil thoughts

A few random devil thoughts today. Does your talk about the devil accurately depict his level in creation or have you made him an equal with God? The devil is a created being, he was Lucifer, an arch angel. If you must compare him to someone, he is an equal to Michael and Gabriel, other archangels.

The devil is not everywhere. This is not Biblical theology. God is, and only God is omni-present. To speak of the devil as if he is an equal with God is not only not true, but what we end up doing is spending our time glorifying evil instead of glorifying God.

If you are depressed, it is probably not because you are being oppressed by the devil. Humans get depressed sometimes. If your home really has demons in it, you could not live there. It would be like the Amityville Horror.

We get into the habit of speaking of evil in ways that are not Biblical. The result is that we spend too much time fighting enemies imagined instead of glorifying God. Is your home a place where God is King and Jesus is Lord, or is your home a place where the devil and his helpers reside. You must decide what you believe.

I will probably write more about this in the days to come. Your comments and questions are welcome of course. I just wanted to get you started thinking today about whose world it is. It is God's world, we are his children and the sheep of his pasture. Lets not cower in darkness, but let us live in the light of his glory and presence.

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

debt

There is much being said about debt recently, and how to get out of it. Today, I will add my two cents worth.

First of all, I think it is fair to note that our economic problems, at every level, are traceable back to debt. High debt, bad debt, debt. Corporate debt, national debt, personal debt. There is too much of it on every level.

Sometimes good advice is hard to follow, but the easy way in life never brings the desired results. Here are my rules for managing debt in your personal life.

1. spend as little as possible. Avoid the more expensive path and take the frugal way every time that you can. Eat cheap. Rice and beans. When I cut up a polish dog in the rice and beans, they go over very well. You know what this means. Stop going out to eat so much, except for Maya's Mexican Bistro. Stop buying things that you do not need. If you are a compulsive shopper, start chewing your nails or popping your knuckles instead. spend as little as possible. Take a brutal inventory of your spending habits and make your bills smaller. Like the Aflac duck said, "smaller bill." That's where good money management begins.

2. when you must buy, buy smart. Do your homework. Check it out and compare. Buy only when you know you have the best deal.

3. Credit cards. Cut them up. Or at least, pay off the balance every month. That practice can even get you in trouble. Many a well meaning person has said they were going to pay them off, but then the balance starts to grow. Cutting them up is best. Pay with cash whenever you can. Wait on a purchase until you can pay with cash. It won't kill you to wait.

4. Borrow only for a home or a car. Avoid buying more home than you need. Easy to say. We have certainly sinned on that advice. Never ever take out a home equity line of credit. Your home is protected in a bankruptcy unless you have a home equity loan. If you do, according to Dr. Phil, you can lose your house to pay the second mortgage. Get a fixed rate on your home as soon as you can. Have a mortgage person keep an eye out for the best rates for you. We had a fellow watching rates and we refinanced a few years ago at 4.875%. Never take cash out of your home if you refi, just work for better terms and lower rates.

5. Cars. Stop buying cars all the time. Some people buy a car every time they need new tires. I have several friends in the car business and I wish them well, but you can lose a lot of money when you trade cars all the time. In most car transactions, the dealer makes money on you twice, once on the car you buy and once on the car you trade in. If you finance with them, they make money on you three times. I choose to drive cheap cars. 2000 Ford pick up. 97 Pontiac Grand Am. Alli has an 03 Neon that we bought for $1000 and fixed up. Cathy has an 05 Honda Civic. The battery died in it yesterday. Hmm maybe we should go buy a new car. Ha! But that is how some people think. When I was a kid, cars were worn out at 100,000 miles. Today, they are just getting started at that age. The thought that you should trade it in when your car gets 80,000 miles on it is silly. It is rich people thinking. What if it breaks down you say? well, that repair is still cheaper than a car payment. And what about the thousands that you will pay in sales tax. You know when your car is really dead. Keep it until it is truly dead, then buy used. You can lose a lot of money trading cars. Be careful.

6. Change your way of thinking. You don't have to keep up with the Jones's. You do not deserve that new outfit or that new car. The world doesn't owe you anything. Learn to live within your means. Manage your life or it will manage you. Joy is found not from getting stuff, but from making good decisions and living well.

7. Think spiritually about your life. My life is not about stuff, it is about being a child of God. We are all stewards in His world, and we have own nothing. We brought nothing into this world, and we will take nothing with us. Regarding money, John Wesley said, "make all you can, save all you can, and give all you can." When you manage your money, however much or little that is, instead of allowing it to manage you, you are much more likely to be able to save some and give some. To have saved for something, to be prepared for a bill is a great joy. To be able to give generously is even a greater joy. That is when money finally makes us happy, when we give it away. Just because we made it, doesn't mean that we have a right to spend it on ourselves. Live more simply so that you can help others. You will be a happier person if you do.

They say that you get what you pay for. This advice was free, so take it for what it is worth, but let me tell you, when I ignored the above principles, my life was a mess. To the degree that I have followed them, I have found great joy. I wish the same for you.

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

little things

Hebrews 12:15
"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;"

Years ago, I thought of this scripture passage as a reminder of the pain that can be inflicted on a congregation when someone gets unhappy and cannot get over it. Their pain ultimately takes root and grows out into the congregation, hurting many.

This does happen, and this is why we need to guard our own attitudes and help heal those who are unhappy about something.

But, that is not why I am writing about this passage today. Today, I am simply applying this passage to my own life. Maybe there is an application for you as well. Here goes.

If I get upset about something, and do not, or cannot get it resolved, what happens? Often, a little bad attitude takes residence and then every thing is colored by that root of bitterness. The result is that things that would not otherwise bother me, do. Things that I normally would have power over, now have power over me. It makes it all too easy to be overcome or defiled by bad attitudes and oh so hard to see the good.

So, what to do? Nip it in the bud. Clear the air. Talk it out. Get past it. Relieve your soul of the burden of worry so that you can focus on positive things.

It is good advice: Don't miss the grace of God. Take care lest a root of bitterness spring up and trouble you, and by it many be defiled.

Start today with a clean slate.

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

bell ringer

Yesterday I dropped by Sam's club. I occasionally sneak into Sam's or Costco for the $1.50 hotdog and coke.

Yesterday as I approached the door, I was coming from around the corner. I heard the identifiable sound of the Salvation Army Bell ringer. I instinctively got out a dollar, having been so conditioned by my pastor to do so. I rounded the corner, and to my surprise, the bell was being rung by a member of our church. I wanted to jump up and down and shout. I wanted to cry and bless them, and give thanks to God. But, not wanting to make a scene, I simply put in the dollar and said, "thank you."

Thank you. Thank you for ringing the bell. Thank you for helping the poor. Thank you for giving of yourself. Thank you for taking a few moments to make someone else's life a little better. Thank you for expanding the circle of care.

I wonder how many other friends from church saw you at Sam's yesterday? Maybe your willingness to ring the bell will cause others to do so. If that person from church can do it, maybe I can do it!

Maybe next year, we should pick a day and see if we can fill every bell ringing slot in lees Summit, Blue Springs and Independence with ringers from our church. Have you been ringing the bell? If so, please post a comment and tell the others what that experience has meant to you.
Thank you my dear friend for ringing the bell, it was such a blessing to run into you at Sam's.

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

uncomfortable

What makes you uncomfortable? Something I am sure. Last night I wore my high school letter jacket which was purchased in 1973 to our staff party. Well, needless to say, it doesn't fit very well anymore. I was uncomfortable in it.

I am uncomfortable in dress up clothes, extended family gatherings, elevators, airplanes and large groups of people. Well, you might say, then how do you preach on Sunday? Well, I had to get used to it. Sometimes it still bothers me. For years, I was sick to my stomach every Sunday morning. My counselor tells me that I am an introvert in an extrovert's world.

Sometimes I think it is important for us to live outside of our comfort zone. I have a hunch that the things that God calls us to are almost always outside of our comfort zone. That is because when we are in our comfort zone, we trust in ourselves, but when we step out, into uncharted territory, we must put our trust in Him. So, being uncomfortable is not all that bad.

Step out today and reach someone for God. Care about someone that is just beyond what you would normally have done. You will be glad that you did, and so will they.

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

I graduated

Last night I dreamed that I was graduating from high school. Maybe that is because Scott is graduating this year. Maybe it is because the staff Christmas party tonight has a high school reunion theme. Maybe it is because, who knows, it is only a dream.

Well, in the dream I was wearing a cap and gown. I was at my parents house and people were picking me up to go to the ceremony. In the dream I was absolutely giddy. Pure unadulterated happiness, and it all took place while I was asleep. Several times during the dream I started to wake up and I was just plain giddy. It was pretty funny.

Random story about my life: when I went to my high school graduation in 1975, I wore a pair of mirror sunglasses during the ceremony. Why? I don't know, I just thought it was funny. Well, after the walk thru, I received my diploma, shook the principal's hand and recessed out. While we are marching in line, recessing out, my mother presses through the crowd and grabs the glasses off of my face. She was furious. She didn't think that the sunglasses were very funny. Oddly, I still do. Ornery things that we did to our parents.

It's better to laugh than to cry. I wish you this day a bit of laughter, a bit of joy, a moment of giddiness.

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

a note to Dad

Dad, last night I put up the Chris-m tree. I put on the old carols and I put up the tree. It was like every other year. I checked the bulbs and there were about six bad ones. Tyler the cat climbed the tree about half way up and then had to be rescued. Listening to the same old cd's that we used to listen to on Christmas always reminds me of you. King's College. St. Olaf. Awesome.

One thing of note about the tree going up this year- I did it by myself. Not the ideal, but what are you going to do? Scott was at work, the girls are at college and Cathy is in North Carolina. They are all going to help put on the ornaments, but I had to get the tree up. It is the Dad's job in the family. I know you know that.

Jenny called and she is coming home on Friday. We are going to bake some cookies together. I got a new recipe from Alice at church for a really tasty oatmeal cookie. I miss you Dad. I miss your grouchy "bah humbugs" during December. I didn't know it was so hard to be the Dad.

Well, enough of that. By golly we are going to have Christmas this year. The lights are on the house. The tree is up. The music is in the CD player. Cookies will be here soon. This year we are gonna have hope. I am going to remind them all of how good life is and what a blessing it is to celebrate family, life and faith. We're gonna have Christmas this year. I promise.

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

Don't be robbed

Hey. It is the Christmas season. It is not the holiday season, it is Christmas time. My entire life, the world has been telling us to leave Christ out of Christmas. Ignore this advice. The world has no right to ask us to devalue Jesus. What would other religions say to us if we asked them to celebrate their holy-days without naming their God?

Go ahead, say it. Merry Christmas. Merry Christ-mas. Happy little baby Jesus in the crib, all snugly warm, you are gonna save people from their sin day.

Some will tell you that there are 14 shopping days left. Forget the shopping. There are 14 days left for you to say Merry Christmas. Say it today. Say it a bunch. Open with "Ho ho ho" if you like and then say Merry Christmas.

It is a time of celebration! Jesus Christ is born. Do not let anyone rob you of the joy or the meaning. Tell it like it is.

Merry Christmas. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Merry Merry Merry Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!!!!

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

frozen dog

Hello. It's winter. You have to take better care of your pets. I saw a story on the news the other day http://www.wisn.com/cnn-news/18214694/detail.html about Jiffy, a border collie whose owner left him outside overnight in 6 degree weather. In the morning, the neighbor found the dog alive, but frozen to the sidewalk.

The dog was freed, the owner was jailed, and Jiffy is going to find a new home. Cold can be tough on pets.

Cold can also be tough on people. I don't mean the kind that you feel when you are walking from the back parking lot at church on Sunday. [see how I took the opportunity to include that in the story] I mean the kind of cold that people give you when they are angry with you. Instead of a smile, you get a snub. Instead of a hug, you get the cold shoulder.

Don't do it. I know you don't, you are great people, but don't you know that a cold heart can hurt both the person who is receiving the cold pricklys and the one who is giving them. Life is too short to misuse and love is too good to ignore.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good. Smile and hug someone today.

Hard work

Keeping a positive attitude is hard work. You can know all of the things to say and do, all of the advice to give to yourself, and sometimes it is still hard.

You are working on something, doing the best that you can do, it is mostly good, but there is one complaint. Why should my brain get stuck on the one complaint? Even if you know that some people are just unhappy?

I think seeing the good has to include understanding a couple of things. First of all, life isn't always going to go your way. Yes, we know that. Second is this; sometimes for reasons that you are not even sure of, you are going to feel crummy. That doesn't mean that things are crummy. It just means that you feel like things are that way.

Chin up. Bear the struggle of feeling bad for no reason. It is still a great day, and Christmas is coming whether we like it or not! It is always better to fight a bad feeling, or to live with it as a temporary visitor that is soon to leave, than to give into it and become overwhelmed by it.

There is lots of good, regardless of what we may feel about a day. Stay with it. We are all getting better at this.

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

what do I want for Christmas

My kids always ask. Dad, what do you want for Christmas. The answer has become the same for me, as it was for my own Father. "Nothin." Well, the kids want to do something nice for you. They even want to spend some of their hard earned money on you.

Well, this year, I had a bit of a revelation. My son Scott is a big MU fan and I was able to get ahold of two tickets to last night's big 12 championship game at Arrowhead. Does he want to go? Absolutely.

I told him, "Scott, this will be your Christmas present to me." He said, "Dad, I am not paying for the tickets. How can this be a present from me to you?" I said, "your time will be your present to me."

So we made plans, put on cold weather clothes, bought tailgate food, loaded up, drove to the stadium, found a great place to park, watched the pregame, the game and went home. It was a great time and will become a great memory.

Now I know what to say when the kids ask what I want for Christmas. I will say, "guys, I want you to plan something with me so that we can spend 4 hours together." A concert, a movie, shopping, helping the homeless, working in the yard [right!], anything that seems to be a good way for us to spend time together.

I don't care who is buying, that is not the point. I will buy. Their time with me is the real gift.

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

Grace and change

Grace never stands alone, it is a part of the big picture.

Judgement tells me that I am a bad Christian or a bad person. I feel condemned. Grace accepts me where I am. I am loved by God.

Then something interesting happens. The change that others wanted to push on me, would never happen when they were pushing. I was resisting too much. But, when I am loved, when I am accepted just as I am, I can relax. I can heal. I can hear the voice of the spirit leading me.

That is when real change can happen. Grace heals people so that they can hear the spirit and follow in his time.

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

to really live

How many days have gone by, how many weeks, months and years. Periods of time in which we simply went through the motions. I would like to say that it is never that way for a Christian, but that would not be true. I would like to say that I never feel that way, but that would not be true either.

What causes it? We are busy. We get discouraged. We forget to celebrate. We stop saying thank you. We get disconnected.

We were not designed to live this way.

Yes you may have been hurt. You may be hiding in life. You may find relief in being busy, but this is not the ideal. From somewhere deep inside of us, our hearts still yearn to live. To love, to dance to smile. To come out from the shadows and embrace life. Imagine yourself doing just that. I sneak out from behind the cloud that I live behind, and I say "Hello world, hello God, hello life!"

In the Bible, the book of 1 Timothy speaks of the "life that truly is life." Jesus spoke of the abundant life. It is not our busy, crabby, go through the motions, wish it were different life. It is a life of joy that he has already given to us. How do we find it? Open your eyes, stop focusing on the unhappiness and grab ahold of the good. Listen to the birds. Feel the wind on your face. Hug a friend, make a new friend. Laugh, love, live.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, which was meant to be lived to the fullest. Be sure to see the good.

hospitality

Yesterday I attended a seminar on hospitality. Among many thoughts that were helpful was this one: there is a difference between hospitality and fellowship. Fellowship is about me hanging with my buds, while hospitality is about all of us helping strangers become new friends. Fellowship connects me with mine, hospitality connects me with new folks.

Fellowship means that old friends share time together and enjoy each other's company. Hospitality means that I make sacrifices for someone new. We show hospitality by giving gifts. The best parking places, the best seats in the sanctuary [at the concert the best seat is the first row, in church the best seats are in the back.] Giving the gift of our time is another way that we show hospitality.

I think we have an awesome church, but I am continually running into people who are having trouble getting connected. Yes, they need to reach out and get involved, but we need to do everything that we can to show hospitality. Lots of people are looking for a church during the holiday season, lets be sure to show them a warm welcome, especially to those who have the "deer in the headlights, I am lost around here look."

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

A quote from Sunday

Well, I enjoy all of the giving thanks. I hope you did too. Not to leave it behind, but I must move on to some other topics.

A quote from Sunday: Jonah 2:8 "those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

Wow. How many times have I read Jonah and I have totally missed those words. I am stunned as I consider their meaning.

Every time I have loved something too much, I missed God's grace. Every time that I called something more important, that was really less important, I missed some of the grace that God has for me.

I am not going to beat myself up with this verse, but it does give me a bit of a different perspective on the decisions that I make. They matter!

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

Sharing your thoughts

Did you make a list of 30 things that you were thankful for during November? Would you be willing to share it? If so, please post it to this blog as a comment.

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

thankfulness

I hope that you made a list during November of 30 things that you are thankful for. One of the things that I enjoyed the most about making the list is, it forced me every day to turn my thinking towards something good. Being thankful changed by attitude.

here is my list from the 30 days in case you missed it:

1 wife
2 people that led me to Christ
3 [lion's den man wrote]
4 time
5 sight
6 responsibility
7 home
8 things that grow
9 4 seasons
10 parents
11 a Sunday off
12 our country
13 other united Methodist pastors
14children
15 humiliation
16 forgiveness
17 music
18 problems
19 faith
20 those who see the world differently than I do
21 food
22 breath
23 deer and other animals
24 hope
25 church staff
26 medicine
27 gratitude
28 random acts of kindness
29 love
30 sleep

Now, I hope you made a list. I have been thinking and wondering, after making a list of 30 things to be thankful for in November, could I, on Dec 1st, find another 30 things to be thankful for. I bet I can. Can you?

Here we go:
1. sunrises
2. the beach
3. cars that run
4. working with my hands
5. accomplishments
6. humility
7. Dave Templeman
8. healing of the heart
9. MP3 players
10. veterans and those who serve in our military
11. the quilters
12. coffee
13. God speaking in the wee hours
14. joy
15. Christmas
16. mission work
17. generosity
18. the ability to change
19. the postmaster in Independence
20. dentists
21. Novocain
22. shoes that fit
23. trusted friends
24, celebration
25. the ability to read
26. Sue Watson
27. to see you as a soul
28. warmth on a cold day
29 pets [don't tell them I said so]
30 learning patience

Should I try for another 30 tomorrow?
What are you thankful for. Grab onto gratitude. it will grab on to you.

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

30 days, day 30

Today is the last day of November. Today I am thankful for sleep. Last night I hit the pillow at 10:30 and I didn't hear a thing until 5:50am. Hallelujah!

Sleep is refreshing. Sleep somehow, sometimes allows me to "sleep off" a wound. I wake the next day and don't feel the pain quite so much. Sleep also sometimes allows a person to solve a problem overnight. It is amazing that you are asleep, but your brain keeps on working.

Sleep. Just another one of God's little miracles.

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

30 days, day 29

Today I am thankful for love. There are many things that can be said about love. I am thankful that I love cars. I am thankful for the love that I have for you. I am thankful for the love shared with my wife. I am thankful for the love of God.

The amazing thing about love is that it becomes more than a feeling over time. It becomes this thing that resonates inside of our hearts that points us in the direction of good. Because I love you, I want the best for you. I don't want you to hurt. I want you to be filled with joy. I want you to walk with God.

Because of the love that I have in my heart, I would never hate you. I would never go to your country and shoot you in your hotels. I would never want to do anything that would bring pain or grief into the lives of others.

I find it so difficult to understand the actions of people that do bad things, killing and terrorizing innocent people. It is hard to understand until I see that there is something that we have that they do not. Love. This amazing thing that God places in our hearts. God is in fact, love. When he lives in our hearts, love lives in our hearts. We still have a lot of work to do to teach others about love. There is still a great need in the world.

Go love someone today.

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

30 days, day 28

I am thankful today, for random acts of kindness. bell ringing for the salvation army. Feeding the hungry. Helping the poor. Hugging the hurting. Visiting the lonely. I hope that you find something to do today that is just good for goodness sake. Go bless someone!

I am never so alive as when I am doing something to help someone else.

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

30 days, day 27

Today is Thanksgiving day! What a wonderful day. Thanksgiving may be the cleanest of our holidays, as it is not obscured by much commercialism. Thanksgiving is just about gratitude.

Today I am thankful for gratitude. For being thankful. For the joy and perspective that comes to a life when a person comes to understand that we are dependent upon and blessed by Almighty God.

How much joy I feel when I am thankful! How excited I am about life! Every moment that I am grateful, I am less concerned with my problems and I am overtaken with joy. We have so much to be thankful for. Do you see it? Let us give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good!

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

30 days, day 26

Today I am thankful for the marvel of modern medicine. I am thankful that God has given to doctors the knowledge to help the body heal.

100 years ago, you would get sick and die, and no one really even knew what the cause was. 50 years ago, there may have been a diagnosis, but little treatment as we know it today.

Today we have regular checkups, x-ray, mri, mammograms, and tons of other tests that help to catch diseases in their early stages. Many of our friends and loved ones are alive today because of regular check ups and testing.

Treatments are also greatly improved. New drugs are out on the market, new pain relievers, asthma drugs have helped my wife, nexium was a big help to me personally.

We take so much of this for granted, but not every country around the world has such benefits.

Today I thank God for doctors, nurses, dentists, and what has been learned over the years. The wisdom of God, improving care to his children and alleviating suffering.

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

30 days, day 25

Today I am thankful for our church staff. Actually, I am thankful for them every single day. Over the years, you have assembled a wonderful group of people that work very hard to help us fulfill our mission of connecting people to Jesus Christ. Find one of them this week and say "thanks!"

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

30 days, day 24

We are giving thanks for something, every day for 30 days. Today I am thankful for hope. During a period of time when all of the news is bad, we have hope. We have hope because we have a Savior in Jesus Christ, and the church is the hope of the world.

While everyone else may be sitting around right now wondering how bad things are going to get, it is time for the church to understand it's role in all of this. We are the brokers of hope. We have something to offer the community. There are things that we can do, and we need to think a little harder about doing them. Here are some things that are on my mind.

1. We already have a career placement ministry. If you have a friend that is out of work, have them contact the church about this program. We can also set up a bulletin board where those who have work or know of work, can interface with those who need work.

2. We have bankers and mortgage people in our church who would be glad to visit with someone who is up against it in their home loan. Maybe there is some advice that a professional could give that the homeowner has not thought of yet.

3. We have financial advisers in our church. People that work with money for a living. I know of several who would meet with anyone in need to try and help them understand what has happened and what their best course of action might be. I have already heard from some of these folks and they would do this with no intent to sell anything, and totally free of charge.

4. Clothing the needy. We are already pretty good at this, but if we need more racks for clothes in the missions building, then lets get them. If we need to open a clothes closet 5 days a week, then I think we can do that. I think that there are lots of clothes in our closets that could better serve the backs of those who can no longer go to the mall. [Remember, I am just talking at this point, please do not bring any clothes to the missions building except those which the missions dept is asking for.]

5. Feeding the hungry. If our food pantry needs to expand, then it can. If we have to move our exercise classes again, I hate to inconvenience them, but maybe we should buy Everett's and move the exercise classes over there. At any rate, if we need to collect and distribute more food, I think that we can figure out how to do that. Also, I have been thinking about a "three feed one" program. If you have a neighbor that can no longer feed their family, then I think the church can take them on. Three families will take the responsibility to personally feed them. The Smith's the Jones's and the Bartman's will agree to work out an arrangement to bring groceries every week until things get better for the family in need.

6. We have FPU. Financial Peace University. This 13 week program has helped over 200 families in our church and community come to a better understanding of debt, savings, and spending. It has taught Christian principles of money management. It has blessed many families, and helped many marriages. Call for more information.

7. Activities. There was a day that the church was the center of the community and the center of activities. If local families can no longer afford to be in basketball and baseball leagues, the church is ready to step in to help. We already have many wonderful activities for children and youth, but if we need more, we can bring more, and the church is more than ready to return to a role of being the center of community activity.

8. Pastoral Care. We have an awesome team and we have excellent Stephen Ministers. If you have a friend who needs someone to talk to about spiritual issues, we are ready.

Hope. We are a place of hope. We are a part of the solution. The government may be able to help with some of this, but we are here, and we know of the immediate needs around us. When called upon by circumstances, we will be prepared to act. If you know of someone who is afraid, invite them to your church, invite them to become a part of the solution.

Jesus is still the answer, and he does some amazing things through those who follow him. I am thankful that even in dark times, no, especially in dark times, we have hope.

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

30 days, day 23

Today I am thankful for the deer that sometimes greet me on the way into church. They are beautiful. They watch me and I watch them. They are suspicious of me, and I don't want them eating the church's tulips.

On the subject of animals, there are some amazing ones. Cats and dogs. Pigeons that are making their home on our roof. Hawks near the church that float in the air looking for field mice. Sparrows and robins and bluebirds. Whales, sharks, zebras, giraffes. Wildebeests, tigers, wild boars. Horses, cows, and sheep.

All of the animal kingdom speaks of God's greatness in creation. I am thankful for the deer that greeted me on the way into church today. I am thankful for it all.

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

30 days, day 22

Today I am thankful for breath. Daily breath. When we stop having daily breath, we are done on this earth. Breathing is an involuntary bodily function. It happens without you thinking about it. Look at yourself, you have been awake this morning for a couple of hours. Have you once, this morning, thought about breathing? It just happens automatically.

Now, when you are really sick, like if you have bronchitis or pneumonia, we tend to think more about breathing and we wish that we doing better at it. If you have COPD or some other lung disease, you certainly think about breathing more. People that are on oxygen all the time I promise you, they are thinking about breathing.

We should not take breathing for granted. It is a gift from God. It is another one of His little miracles.

Take a deep breath or two. Right now. Think about those breaths and how they nourish your body. Then give thanks to God for His daily sustenance.

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

30 days, day 21

Today I am thankful for something simple. Food. I am not going to feel guilty about being thankful for that. Ok, it is a simple thought in some ways. I am spoiled. I get to eat three meals a day. Thanksgiving is coming, and I will most likely enjoy the usual feast of turkey, dressing, potatoes, on and on. My wife is a good cook. All the kids are happy when Mom cooks because she is good at it.

I know that some people don't get to eat three meals a day. When I visited Russia, I met people who woke up in the morning and were not sure what they were going to eat that day. I am glad that our country helps feed the poor around the world, and I am glad that our church helps to feed the needy in our community. By being thankful for food, I do not mean to disrespect the needy, those who don't have such food, but maybe the fact that I know that not everyone has food, I know it is a blessing and I am thankful for it.

I am thankful for Tuna Sandwiches, vegetable soup, pecan pie, burger king burgers, pizza, pork roast, raisin bran, eggs and sausage, fruit, asparagus, green beans, the Panda Cafe, tacos, fajitas, peanuts, hotdogs, bratwurst, cobb salad, spaghetti, meatballs, ham n cheese, on and on. Waffles, pancakes, shepherds pie, strawberry short cake, ice cream, steak, mushrooms, rice and beans, bean soup, chili, ...............

See how much we have to be thankful for. We are blessed. Thank you God! I am aware. I know that we have so much. May we never forget how blessed we are.

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

30 days, day 20

How is your list? Are you having trouble coming up with something different every day to be thankful for? Or is it pretty easy for you?

Today, I am thankful for those who see the world differently than I do. For example, I hear that some of the Christian book stores may be taking the book "the Shack" off of the shelves. I am sorry to hear that, I don't agree with that, and I think they are looking at the wrong things. However, they are entitled to their opinion.

All around you are people who disagree with you and with me. Different ideas on politics, religion and on raising children. Different ideas on the past, the future, and on reality in general.

Sometimes we may feel annoyed by those who are different than we are. But can you imagine a world where everyone agreed with you all the time? What would that be like?

I think there is something good, something whole, something right about getting along in the same world with those who are different from you. We never learn if everyone agrees with us. It takes all kinds to make a world, and Jesus loves them all, including you and me.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, what are you thankful for?

30 days, day 19

Today I am thankful for faith in God. Where would we be without it? Ever since Sunday night's gospel choir concert, I have had these words stuck in my head:

Lord I’m Trusting
Chorus 1:(Lord it’s in You), oh Lord I’m trusting.
(Lord it’s in You), oh Lord I’m trusting.
(Lord it’s in You), Lord I’m trusting,
I’m trusting in You, Lord to see me through.

Chorus 2:(The road may be rough), oh Lord I’m trusting.
(The road may be rough), oh Lord I’m trusting.
(And the going may be tough), Lord I’m trusting,
I’m trusting in You, Lord to see me through.

Verse 1:Tis so sweet to trust in You, Jesus,
(I’m trusting in You, Lord, I’m trusting in You).
Oh just to take You at Your word,
(I’m trusting in You, Lord, I’m trusting in You).

Chorus 1
Verse 2:How I prove Him over and over,
(I’m trusting in You, Lord, I’m trusting in You).
Oh for grace to trust Him a little more,
(I’m trusting in You, Lord, I’m trusting in You).

Chorus 2
Bridge 1:
Tenors:I’m trusting in You Lord,I’m trusting in You.
I’m trusting in You Lord,I’m trusting in You.
Altos/Sopranos:Lord, I’m trusting.

Bridge 2:(I will) trust in the Lord,I will trust in the Lord.
I will trust in the Lord until I die.
(I will) trust in the Lord,I will trust in the Lord.
I’m trusting in You, Lord to see me through.

Vamp:I’m trusting in You, Lord.
Ending:I’m trusting in You, Lord to see me through.

Dear friends, I am telling you that the words of that song are still reverberating in my heart. What happened in our sanctuary when the choir was singing that song was not much short of a miracle. I don't know that I have witnessed such genuine electricity in worship in my life, and I have been around for a long time. Even now as I remember this moment in my mind, at 5:30 in the morning, my eyes are filling up.

I am thankful for faith and trust in God. Especially in these days, it is more important than ever.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
P.S. come join the gospel choir, it will be very good for your soul.

30 days, day 18

Today, I am thankful for problems. That is probably a good thing, because there are a few lurking around. A vandalized church bus, marriages in trouble [not mine, I don't think], financial woes, worried folks.

I am thankful for problems. Problems make me appreciate life. They make me feel happy when I don't have any problems. Like you know, the best thing about being sick is that you stop taking being well for granted.

Problems give me a challenge to overcome. They keep me from being bored.

Problems remind me that I am not God. Life is not always a rose garden, but it still is good. That is the whole point, seeing the good means the most when problems rear their ugly heads.

Facing problems gives me a feeling of life accomplishment that I would not otherwise have if I had no problems to overcome.

Are you facing some problems? Thank God, we are going to grow and learn. We are not going to be bored! We are going to achieve a sense of accomplishment. It is a good day!

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

30 days, day 17

I am still thankful. Being thankful makes me excited about life.
When I think of something that I am thankful for, it makes me forget the worries of today.

Today I am thankful for music. Let me start with the Gospel Choir. Awesome job last night, you rocked the house!

I also love the Jazz Band, the children's choirs, adult choir, the quartet, the orchestra, bell choir, both bands, and everyone else that leads music at church. You all are awesome.

Going on from this, I am thankful for other music that I love. Fernando Ortega. Jeremy Camp. Kenny Chesney. Tim McGraw. The Moody Blues.

Christmas is coming. It is a great season of music. O Holy Night. Silent Night. It Came upon a Midnight Clear. Joy to the World. It makes me happy just to think about it!

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

30 days, day 16

Today, I am thankful for forgiveness.

Take a moment and think of some of what you have done wrong. Actions, attitudes, being unwilling to grow. When I think of such things, I am so thankful for forgiveness. I am thankful that God, my family, and each of you, forgive me.

As I accept the gift of forgiveness, I am mindful of two things. First, I must continue to work on being the best Jeff that I can. Being a Christian means giving all that I know of myself to all that I know of God. That has to be an ongoing thing for me.

Secondly, since I have been forgiven, I need to forgive others. In fact, I have no right, no right, no right, no right to judge others. They deserve the same grace that I offer to myself. I don't have to agree with them, but I will not condemn or judge them. That is God's job.

I am thankful for forgiveness. It is a powerful force to help you live a healthy life.

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

30 days, day 15

Today I am thankful for humiliation. I was going to say suffering, but my suffering is so small compared to others, that I do not feel that I have the right to use the word. So, I will use the word, humiliation. I am thankful for humiliation. Yesterday, I experienced a bit of it.

The day began with an appointment that I missed. I put down the wrong time. Self humiliation. Brought on by the self. I called to apologize and reset the appointment. I felt ridiculous.

Later, I was at a store and was embarrassed by the clerk. I was surprised by their uncharacteristic response to the situation and I felt a bit humiliated.

Before dinner I was at another vendor and had a problem with a rebate card. They could not get the card to work. I felt like my credit card had been denied. It was not their fault, nor mine really, but I felt foolish, humiliated and frustrated. I will have to call the company and get it figured out.

Now you may be asking, why am I thankful for experiences like this that provide a sense of humiliation to me. Well I am thankful for them for several reasons.

First of all, when things do not go well for me, it reminds me that I don't always get things my way. Such moments provide opportunities for me to exercise Christian character, and Lord knows, I need to keep working on this. Humiliating experiences also remind me to think of what Jesus suffered. While I bring some of this stuff on myself, he was innocent in humiliation and suffering. Humiliation also makes me work harder to see the good. I think that anyone can show good character when things are going well. Difficult experiences tend to show what is really inside of us.

Much good happened yesterday and today is a new day. May I enter it with joy and trust in Almighty God.

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

30 days, day 14

I am thankful for my children.

This probably should have been second on the list right after my wife, but their placement on the list in no way reduces their importance in my life.

My deepest apologies to any of you who wanted children but could not have them, or to any of you who have lost children, or have children from which you are estranged. I pray that God's grace is big enough to bridge the deep gaps that develop in our lives.

My children are awesome. I have had the privilege of watching them grow from birth to the ripe old ages of 17, 19 and 21. So much of what we have tried to teach them, they are now beginning to "get." They are not always perfect, but neither am I. I believe they know that their parents love each other. I know that they know what a happy, fun home looks like. We haven't ever sugar coated anything, so they know what the real world is mostly like. They know how, and are learning how to work.

I believe that who ever they marry and where ever they work, the people that they choose to spend their lives with will feel that they won the lottery.

Alli, Jenny and Scott, thank you. I have won the Dad lottery. You guys are awesome.

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

30 days, day 13

I hope you are making a list.
We have so much to be thankful for.

Today, I am thankful for my United Methodist brothers and sisters in ministry. Maybe 700 Methodist ministers in our state. I may know 100 of them. I am close to about 30. I cannot name all of the 30, but I love all of you and I am proud of all of you, and I am blessed to serve with you.

Cody, Sue, Bob, Kendall, Kate, Steve, Aaron, Jim, Jim, Bob, Dave, Sally, Cathy, Jeremy, Brent, Jeff, Jim, Clay, Sherry, Gina, Michele Sue, Kyle, Jim, Dave, Sam, on and on I should go.

You are all wonderful, and I am so thankful for you and it is such a blessing to watch you give yourselves away in the name of Jesus Christ.

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

30 days, day 12

Today I am thankful for our country. For the ability to vote. You don't get that everywhere. I am also thankful for the attitude displayed by people in our church after the election. We had people on both sides of the election, and win or lose, they are treating each other with respect. At least that is what I am seeing. I am proud of you. I am thankful for your attitudes. Christians should always remember that we trust in God whether we are happy with the president and congress or not. Christians are also asked to pray for the leaders of their nation.

Today, and always, I am thankful for our country.

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

30 days, day 11

I am so enjoying this. Everyday, there is something to be thankful for.

I am thankful today for Clay and others who covered for me on Sunday, and I hear that Clay gave an excellent message. I am not surprised. This allowed me a Saturday night with no worries and a very relaxed Sunday. It allowed me to attend church as a worshipper, which is an awesome thing.

When you are the pastor, you hardly ever just get to "go to church." Sunday I just drove to another United Methodist church, walked in, sat down, and listened to an awesome message.

I am thankful for those who do what it takes to allow me to, and help me to renew my soul.

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

30 days, day 10

Remember, this month we are all making a list of 30 things that we are thankful for. So far you should have 10 things on your list.

Today I am thankful for my parents. They don't always get the best of press in sermons, I know that, and there are reasons for that. My parents had a difficult marriage and they got stuck in a branch of the Christian faith that was pretty dogmatic and guilt ridden.

But, all of that aside, my parents loved me. They sacrificed much to give my sisters and I the kind of life that neither of them had as children. My mother grew up very poor, the youngest of six children. If a rabbit came into their yard, it was dinner. They used to dig dandy-lion greens for their vegetable at dinner. Dad came from a working family. His grandparents had been wealthy, but had lost their money. His parents worked hard to make ends meet. His dad was a contractor and worked at a lumber yard. From a young age, Dad was taught to work hard.

Out of the depression and through WW2, my parents were a part of Tom Brokaw's "greatest generation." They worked hard and provided things for us that they never had. They lived lives of self-sacrifice. They deserve to be honored. I am thankful for them. If your parents are still alive, you may want to call them today and tell them "thanks."

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

30 days, day 9

Today I am thankful for four seasons. For the cadence of life. Summer makes you appreciate winter. Winter makes you appreciate summer. Spring and fall, well, they could last a bit longer in my book. How do people in Alaska make it? Winter all the time. It must be terrible. And what about the people in Florida? Summer all the time. It must be so boring and the bugs get so big. The people in Florida would all be much happier if they moved to the mid-west.

Now here is another reason why I like the four seasons. They challenge me to see the good. I do not want to live through winter, just hoping for spring. And I don't want to bear the summer, just hoping for the fall. To do so is to waste the days of summer and winter. I want to learn to enjoy the heat of summer. I want to learn to savor the cold of winter. It is all good, it is all wonderful, if we just take the time to give thanks for whatever season it is. These are truths that are only known to those who live in the four seasons of the mid-west.

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

30 days, day 8

Today, I am thankful for things that grow. For trees and flowers and shrubs and accent plants. I love plants. Hackberry, Cleveland Pear, Weeping Cherry, Red Maple, American Elm, Crabapple, Japanese Maple. We also have a Red Oak. I love them all. I love to watch them grow. Trees are an amazing witness to the glory and wonder of God.

Flowers. Tulips, Mums, lillys, Hosta, Daffodils. Ground cover. Ivy, Sedem, Ajuga. I love it all.

These little friends speak to me of the goodness and glory of God. God speaks to us through His creation in ways that are hard to explain.

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

30 days, day 7

Today, I am thankful for home. I have been out of town for four days, and that tends to help one appreciate home. I hope that your home is as good for you as mine is for me.

Home is the place where I belong. It is where I am a part of something very special. Cathy and I have worked pretty diligently to raise three children. Watching them grow over the years has been awesome. Now, they are all grown up. They have full blown senses of humor and emerging senses of responsibility.

Home. My recliner. My books. A place to retreat from life, and a place to celebrate life with others. Home is more than a house. There is an old saying, "with what you earn, you make a living, with what you give, you make a life." At home, there is life. Lots of giving, lots of caring, lots of love.

I am thankful for home. I hope you are too.

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

30 days, day 6

Today I am thankful for................ responsibility. Really? Responsibility? Yes. That very thing that we dread as teenagers, that very thing that our parents worked so hard to teach us. Responsibility.

Human nature causes us to dread our responsibilities sometimes. But think about it, life cannot always be one giant vacation or one giant birthday party.

Having things that I am responsible for, gives me a sense of purpose in life. Behaving responsibly causes me to feel good about my life. Seeing positive results from carrying responsibility well is one of the great gifts ofGod in this life.

As in all things of life, nothing of value comes for free. By hard work, determination and responsible behavior, our world is moved forward in a positive direction.

Though sometimes I want a break from them, and I am sure that you do too, I am thankful for the good that comes into our lives from having things to be responsible for, and executing those responsibilities in a healthy way.

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

30 days, day 5

Wednesday, November 5th.

Today I am thankful for the gift of sight. Sight is a gift that is taken for granted by so many. The ability to open your eyes and see the trees in the fall, a bird in flight, the smile of a friend. Oh, what a great gift it is to see. To be able to read, to watch a movie, to see your children walk in the door. To see the stars at night, the clouds in the day, and a thousand other things.

Four years ago about this time, I had cataract surgery on both eyes. I didn't realize how clouded my sight had become. Sight is like that. It is so subjective. How do we know that when I see green, I see green the same way that you do? How do I know that when I look at myself I am seeing myself clearly?

Ahh the other side of sight. Insight. To look at myself and various life situations and see them for what they truly are. To be able to look inside and take an honest, fearless moral inventory of who I am. The possibility of a better future for us begins when we look at ourselves and are honest enough to see ourselves as we are.

What do you see today? What do you see in yourself? Is there some area in my life that I have seen that I need to allow the Holy Spirit to work on?

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

30 Days, day 4

Tuesday, November 4th.

I am thankful for time. Stop and think about it. We are so busy, so rushed through our day, we rarely stop to give thanks for the gift of time. It is a commodity that is very precious. We don't know how much we will have of it, but in this life, we have the opportunity to make every moment count.

Some people waste their time. Some people use their time to do evil. We generally know better.

What are you doing with your time today? tonight? Pick something good. Celebrate. Tell someone that you love them.

Time. Time to do good. Time to love. Time to give thanks. It is awesome when used for good.

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

30 Days, Day 3 or (Day 1)

"Write what your are thankful for………..write about what is on your heart/mind today." That was the advice that Jeff gave me this morning when he asked if I could fill in for a day…….he will be back tomorrow. So I started thinking and, like many, I have so much to be thankful for that my list could go on and on and on…….family, friends, WCC, my health, my job, Grace…..

We should follow Jeff’s lead and make a list of the things we are thankful for. Each day we should acknowledge those things in prayer and in person if possible. Looking to the good tends to smother out the bad and puts things in perspective. Sharing those thoughts is healthy, too, and can tell you a lot about a person. So tonight, when I get home, I plan to have everyone in my family start their own list and each day we will pray and give thanks for all the blessings in our lives.

Day 1: I am thankful for this blog. It not only helps me see more of what Jeff is all about, but it is thought provoking and challenges me to see the world through a different set of eyes. It is a blessing in my walk and I pray I never take it for granted.


Peace,
Lion’s Den Man

30 Days, Day 2

November. 30 days to give thanks. Oh my, it is time to be thankful again. This is going to be easy, and so much fun! let's see, what should I be thankful for today?

Well, yesterday was All Saints Day. A church holiday that celebrates all of our Christian friends and loved ones that have lived and died and made a difference in our lives.

I am thankful for all of them. For my Father and Mother, for my grandparents. For John Wesley, Anthony Demello, Bishop W.T. Handy, Roy McDonald, Bill Powell, Cynthia Mack and thousands more.

From some, we learned the right things to do. From others, we learned the tragic results of bad decisions. But from each, we have the opportunity to learn and grow. We would not be here without those folks who brought us into the world and nurtured us along the way.

"O Lord, here my prayer of thanks today for each one of your Saints that I have been touched by in my life. May they rest today in the peaceful arms of a loving God. Amen."

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

30 days

November. The season of giving thanks. Thirty days has September, April, June and November. Barring any unforeseen interruptions, I am going to write every day in November about one thing that I am thankful for. I am already having trouble, because I am so thankful for so many things that I am going to have trouble picking one thing. But, here is my one thing for today.

I am thankful for my wife, Cathy.

I have selected her for day one, because today is our 22nd wedding anniversary, and if she read this, and I did not pick her, I would probably be in trouble.

We were married on a Sunday afternoon at South Broadland Presbyterian Church in Kansas City by Rev Greg Coulter. We attended church and Sunday School there and had many good friends, mostly in the Sunday School class. We played softball on the church team together.

Our wedding was attended by a small group of folks. The ushers wore plastic fish ties. Our reception was help at the home of Bruce and Pat Minter. Later that night, my sister, Julie, organized a chivalry, and a large collection of people knocked on the door banging pots and pans. They also brought a pizza, so it turned out ok.

We were not able to go on our honeymoon for several weeks because my employer, Franklin Savings, was going through a computer change over. No one could miss work for the two weeks while we were training on the new system.

When the honeymoon came, it was not what a young woman dreams of. No airplane, no beach, no shopping, no pampering. It just wasn't possible back then.

We drove up to Mound City, MO, just north of St. Joe and stayed for three days in a cabin at Big Lake State Park. We hiked at the park, hiked at Squaw Creek wildlife refuge. One night, we went out to dinner at the catfish restaurant in Rulo, Nebraska. We ate catfish and danced all night. The leaves were turning and it was wonderful. It is one of my great, life memories.

Over the years, like all marriages, we have had our moments. But I want to tell you, this is a good woman. She would give her left arm for you. She is as kind and loving a person as I have known in this life. She can be hard to get to know, she is a bit reserved, but she is worth knowing. We have raised three children together. We have cried together, and we have laughed together. We laugh a lot.

I am reminded of the quote from the beginning of the movie "the Notebook" where James Garner says of his wife, "I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough."

I could go on and on. But today, November 1st, I am thankful for my wife.

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

I thought I had to do it.

Sometimes it feels like you have to do everything. Well, this was my job. It was my responsibility. I have always done this. Hundreds of times I have done this. Now, without so much as saying anything to me, someone else wants to take it over. Wait, you can't do it, I am supposed to do it.

I didn't get anywhere. I tried again. I started feeling tension. Then I made a strategic decision.

Even though this is my job and I have always done it, and I am supposed to do it now, I am going to step back and watch. I am going to let this other person do it. I am just going to go with the flow. What is the worst that could happen?

And, I learned something. They did it. They did it well. Maybe even a better job than I would have done. I was worrying for nothing and I learned much about the capabilities of another.

What are you worried about today? Are there others that can help and would help if you would give them a chance? How big of a deal is this really? The world can continue to exist without me having to do everything I think that I need to do.

Jesus said, don't worry. Seek the kingdom. Maybe if I relax a little more, I will find the peace of the kingdom a little more often.

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

Premonitions

Premonitions. When you have a feeling that something is going to happen. A foretelling. You know something k-n-o-w something before it happens.

Last Friday and Saturday I made a short trip to Springfield. [I don't mean that I found a short cut to Springfield, it is still 160 miles. What I mean is that I drove there and went to a meeting and returned, all within 24 hours. It was a short trip.] Before I left, I had a strong feeling that I was going to be involved in a car wreck and die on the trip. For a moment, I thought about calling to cancel.

I decided to go on the trip. I drove carefully. My "premonition" was wrong. I think if your premonition is wrong, then it is not really not a real premonition.

This is not the first time that I have felt this way. I have had many times where I was suddenly thinking about my own demise. I have finally decided why those feelings show up. Ready? It is because I am having so much fun in life. Now, I don't mean that I don't have any problems, I do. And don't think for a minute that being a pastor doesn't have it's painful moments. But, all in all, like John Denver said, "it's been a good life all in all." Actually, it has been an awesome life!

I am blessed with more kind hearted people than I can keep track of. I have won the friend lottery. I have won the wife lottery. She is a good one! My kids are super.

Maybe this is the best thing.... as I am growing older, I can feel the good things of God growing inside of me. I have learned so much in the last few years about joy, peace, grace and judgement. I am having a blast. I hope it doesn't end soon.

With that thought in mind, this is the day that the Lord has made. We have one shot at today. Let's go out and find somebody to care about.

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

taking up a cross

Semantics. How we say things. We get in the habit of saying things sometimes without thinking about the real meaning.

Jesus said, "take up your cross." We say that we, "have a cross to bear." and "such and such is my cross to bear."

When we say this, we are commonly referring to various and random difficulty in this life. For example, "having a chronic disease is my cross to bear." "Having a wife that travels, is my cross to bear." "Having a bad knee is my cross to bear."

Having this problem at work, or a spouse that is non supportive, or the death of a friend, we often refer to such things as "our cross to bear."

Scripturaly, this is mis-speak. When Jesus spoke of a cross to bear, he was not referring to the common trials and tribulations of this life. What he was inferring is that every Christian should bear some difficulty for the sake of the kingdom. A cross to bear is some hardship that we endure because of, or to the benefit of our faith in Jesus.

With that definition, the number of us that are actually bearing a cross possibly just got much smaller. Are you inconvenienced for the sake of Christ? Persecuted for Him? Have you made a sacrifice for Him? Such are our crosses to bear for the sake of the kingdom.

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

an outward focus can be painful

An outward focus can be painful. It is like taking up a cross.

Based on a comment in yesterday's post, someone has asked me to say a bit more. This is their comment:

Because core values are so important would you please expand on your statement "Growing churches let go of traditions that do not work and reach out to the community with things that are relevant to the community, even setting aside their own preferences in order to win new people in the neighborhood."

Let me say a bit more about that statement, and it is not pleasant, but it is real. This is why many churches are growing and many others are not. If the only people that we are trying to win are those like us, eventually we will decline and die, because we are all growing older. By nature we lose touch with younger folks. We wonder why we have no young folks at our churches, but we are often unwilling to change to attract them. It is like we are saying, "come join us, help pay the bills, but you will need to learn to like our music and have church the way we like to have church. After all, it is our church."

If we expect to win young people in the community, we need to create an environment that is welcoming to them. We need to give them more than a seat in a pew. We need to give them authority. We need to help them shape a church that they want to take ownership of. This means that we must be willing to allow a church to be created that is not to our liking. We may prefer traditional choral music or a formal, reverent service, but if we stick with that, we will not win the young folks. We will simply die a slow death, while clinging to the life raft of our traditions. If we don’t change to become a church that they like, they will figure out how to start their own churches…and they are.

To welcome someone is to cook their favorite meal, whether you prefer it or not. It is to find the joy in having a house full of young folks that enjoy a different taste in music. We must learn to grin and bear and enjoy their ways and their music if we want them around. Here is the fun part. In 20 years, it will all have to happen all over again. In 20 years, we can watch them suffer with the ideas and music of future young folks, just as we have had to do for them. We can mentor them in the ways of change and acceptance, all for the mission of Jesus Christ. We must decrease so that he can increase.

The following quotes are painful, but true.

"Those who are not here, matter as much if not more than those who are here."
adopted by the Administrative Council of Woods Chapel Church, August 2000

”The church is only the church when it exists for others”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as quoted in the book, Faithquakes, by Leonard Sweet

The church is the only group on earth that exists for its “non-members.”
as quoted in the book, Radical Outreach, by George Hunter.

"Go and make disciples," "take up your cross and follow me" and "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
Jesus

Death awaits those who insist on their personal preferences and comfort. The future of the church is bright and joyful for those congregations who are willing to give themselves away for the sake of the gospel.

To what extent are we willing to reach beyond our comfort zone to welcome the next generation? Answer this question and I will tell you your future.

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

New Church Start, pt 2

The original post on this topic was Tuesday, October 21st. For a complete background, read that post and the comments for that day.

Someone asked a very good question yesterday. "If other churches in our area are struggling with declining membership and financial problems, why not just help them instead of helping to start a new church?"

This is a good question and deserves some thoughtful answers.

First of all we have to understand why churches decline. Usually, decline begins when churches forget their mission and begin to be gripped by an inward focus. They work hard to sustain and maintain their identity and stop trying to reach the community. Usually, for a declining church to turn a corner and reach the community, they have to totally change their approach to outreach. Our human tendency says, "we have a great church, come join us, but you will have to learn to like it our way." Growing churches let go of traditions that do not work and reach out to the community with things that are relevant to the community, even setting aside their own preferences in order to win new people in the neighborhood. Without a clear outward focus, all churches will eventually decline and die. Once a church gets stuck in self preservation and focused inward, it is very difficult for that church to reload it's operating systems.

Secondly, I would tell you that the district and conference has done a ton to help declining churches. That is heavy on the minds of the Bishop, our District Superintendents and Conference Staff. Everyone is working to help churches become fruitful, to win people to Jesus Christ. They have offered seminars and consultants, and coaching and accountability groups. They have offered voluntary and mandatory training. They have offered mentors. They have created a Pastoral Leadership Development program. There are consultations and interventions available to help churches turn around. Sometimes, Praise God, these efforts help.

Thirdly, Woods Chapel has done a lot to help any church that we possibly can. Our pastor and some of our staff have travelled to other churches to offer training in creating a positive culture. I have, or your staff have been in Jefferson City, St. Joe, Independence, Warrenton, Grandview, Springfield, Blue Springs, and other places as well. We tell our story and offer our help. The other thing that we have worked hard to do is to build a climate of welcome. We want all pastors from all churches to feel welcome. We have built relationships with pastors all over the city and all over the conference. What we are doing is not just about Woods Chapel, but it is about the Kingdom of God and we are all in this together. We have also reached out to the seminary through an intern program. Every month, a seminary student has the opportunity to meet our staff, learn how we operate and get a feel for Woods Chapel culture and ideas. If any one has any other ideas on how we can be team players and reach out to churches in the area, I have time for a cup of coffee this week. Call me. This is a very important concept that I would love to explore further.

So, the odd thing is, that even though so many are tyring, many churches continue to decline. I know that Sue Watson from our conference office reads this blog and she may have better comments than mine, but I think that conference officials will tell you that they have targeted an area in Independence where there currently is no Methodist church. Also I believe they will tell you that if people were going to join the existing churches, they already would have done so. People like to join new things and they want to join something that has a positive vision, culture and outlook.

So, I think that is why they are interested in us helping to start a new church. I believe that they would tell you it is the best way to win disciples and grow the church.

Please continue to send in your comments and questions. This is an exciting opportunity for us and we need to have good dialogue about it.

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