never too late

My wife and I got together with some old friends last night on the eve of New Year’s Eve. We use to do this every year for many years and then life, kids, moving further apart in distance made this very good thing fade away. But, fate has it way and last night after a 17 hiatus the old group, one and all, got together again. Kids had grown and so had we but it was like we had only missed a year. The old stories were remembered and the new ones were shared and everyone was glad the night had come together again.

Friendships.  Don’t lose what you have, but if you have, then go and get it back. You will only regret the time apart.

Peace,

Lion’s Den Man

love

I love my mom. She is 87. She has a large family that loves her dearly. She lives is a nursing home and is in the advanced stages of memory loss.  Sad.

She fell the other day. Broke her hip.  Sad. The surgery went well. The surgeon said she has strong bones. My sister said it was because she fed herself and us a lot of cheese. Levity…got to love it.

I am very glad for the parents God gave me and for the family that I have and the love that abounds. Some are not as fortunate and for that I am again, sad. If that is you more than likely you are here because you have faith and hope and love.

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

Peace,

Lion’s Den Man

no hurry

How old do you have to be to start seeing that things are moving too fast?

In the movie Shawshank Redemption the character Brooks, who had been in prison most of his life, gets paroled. One of his first observations was, “I can't believe how fast things move on the outside. I saw an automobile once when I was a kid, but now they're everywhere. The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry.”

My dad use to say things similar to that and now I catch myself with similar thoughts and comments. I drive to work and watch cars blow past me left and right and my speed is above the limit. I didn’t use to see that in the past. Maybe I use to drive faster or maybe I am just slowing down.  My brother retired a couple of years ago. He is in a slow and easy mode now. To know him before you might think something is wrong with him, an illness perhaps. But in reality he is just taking it all in. He is investing himself and his time in others. Not a bad way to spend retirement. Not a bad way to spend each day!

Peace,

Lion’s Den Man

washing your hands

I was washing my hands the other day.  I remembered how my wife taught me after she went to work at Children's Mercy Hospital, that if you don't wash your thumbs too, you aren't washing your hands.

Anyway I was washing my hands the other day because I had picked up some stuff from the parking lot and my hands were gritty.  How delightful it was to turn on the faucet and squirt the soap out and clean my hands.

Then it occurred to me:  many people around the world, maybe even most people, do not have the privilege of washing their hands as we do.  The lack of water, the lack of clean water and the absence of soap would all keep one from washing their hands as we do.

I paused to thank God for the simple gift of washing my hands.  We take way too much for granted.  I thank God for the gift of water and soap.

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

worry and trust

Worry and trust are mutually exclusive.

If I ask an adult who has lived in a town a long time to go to the grocery store for an item, I don't worry about it because I trust that they can manage it.

If I ask a brand new 16 year old driver to make his first solo trip in a car to go to the grocery store to get me something, I am going to worry because I don't really trust that they can get it done right.

So when we worry about things in our life, what are we saying about God?  God you are inept.  God you don't have what it takes.  God you aren't big enough.

Worry and trust are mutually exclusive.

God is big enough to manage the thing.  He cares about it all as much or more than you do.  Don't worry, trust Him.  See him as able.  See him as big enough.

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

today

This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

When we spend time reliving our past, we are dragging out old emotions and situations that cannot be changed.  We are wasting our time wishing they were different when they are what they are.  Counseling can help us deal with our past, but simply replaying the old tapes over and over again robs us of the joy of living in this moment.

When we rehearse our future, we are planning for something that we cannot control.  Now some planning is good, but when it is worried rehearsing of how something is going to go wrong, then it is not healthy and we are again robbing ourselves of living in the moment.

Reliving the past failures and rehearsing future ones rob us of the gift of this day.

Today is a gift.  That is why they call it the present.

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

Merry Christmas

Unto us a child is born.  Unto us a Son is given.
Merry Christmas my friends!

May your day be filled with joy!
May your week be filled with joy!
May your life be filled with joy!

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

Christmas Eve

Today is Christmas Eve. It's a busy day at the church, but it is a great day to be in church.

I know that every day is the same. I know that every day is a gift from God. But there is something unexplainably magical about Christmas Eve.

Egg Nog. Family and Friends. Sitting by the tree. Wonderful Music. Giving thanks for the last year. Giving thanks for life itself. Appreciating God. Candle lighting at church. It is indeed the most wonderful time of the year.

Today we have services at 3pm, 5pm, and 7pm. You are invited and welcome to attend. If you live far from here we invite you to watch our services live on the web or attend the local church of your choice.

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

favorite Christmas songs

There are of course many great Christmas songs, but here are some of my favorite:

Hark the Herald Angels Sing
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Once in Royal David's City
In the Bleak Mid-winter

How many of those four are you familiar with? Probably all of you know Hark the Herald Angels sing, but do you know the others? Learning new and obscure songs is kind of cool. If you don't know the others here are some youtube links:

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Once in David's Royal City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMGMV-fujUY

In the Bleak Midwinter [this just brought me to tears]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hs9-Sxf9j4

Do you know any obscure Christmas songs that I should learn?

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

It's still true

So my wife and I went over on a Saturday morning to see Christmas in the park at Riverside Park.  There were lots of trees and decorations, refreshments and singers.  I stood and listened to this trio sing a number of songs, one of which was What the World Needs Now.

I thought how odd that they were singing a song that was popular long before they were born.  I thought about how true it still is today.  What the world needs now, is love sweet love.  It was recorded in 1968 by Jackie Deshannon.

Here is the link to the song.
What the world needs now by Jackie Deshannon

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don't need another mountain
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross
Enough to last 'till the end of time

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don't need another meadow
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh, listen, lord, if you want to know

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some, oh, but just for ever, every, everyone

What the world needs now is love, sweet love.

It is still true.

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

hurricane Mary

I mentioned Mary in yesterday's post and it reminded me of this picture from Hurricane Matthew.  My family had decided to hole up in Vero Beach, and the stores were out of everything on the East Coast.  So since I was in Cape Coral and supplies were available,  I made a list and started loading up the car.   Tarps, generator, cases of water, propane tank, gas cans, anything that I thought we might need.

The car filled up and I had to pile some of the stuff on and around Mary.  I hope that she did not mind, but the flammables ended up right next to her.  I jokingly asked that she would protect us and keep us safe, even though I put gas and propane next to her.  I'm sorry I just think it turned out funny that she was packed in with that stuff.  She usually has the seat to herself.

Anyway, we all lived thru the hurricane so Mary did her job.  It's a busy time of year for her so I am going to take good care of her this week.

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

wreck

Last Thursday about 3 pm I was driving on highway 80 just outside of Labelle.  There was a pretty good amount of traffic, and per usual, everyone was jockeying for position.  We were coming up to a stop light in front of the Walmart and I moved over into a lane that was clear and thought, "now I'm in the clear." 

The only problem was, the light was red.  Suddenly I realized that I was in the middle of the intersection and people were turning left in front of me.  I jammed on the brakes.  Thankfully I wasn't going that fast, and was able to stop.  Horns were honking at me, and rightfully so.  Everything that was not tied down came flying up towards the front of the car.  Thankfully, Mary was buckled in and she was not hurt.

The people behind me had watched in horror and had left room for me to back up onto my side of the intersection.  I looked around at some of the the other drivers and mouthed "sorry."  The light changed and we went on.  I was glad that this error did not result in a crash and I was glad that it was not witnessed by law enforcement.

But I thought to myself...........  I am always talking about paying attention, and look at me... I totally spaced off.  I was completely out of touch with what was happening in that moment.

We need to pay attention to life and not get sidetracked.

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

footprints

This is from an old friend that used to give tours of Kansas City.

I don't know whether you've ever been to the west side of the big open area in Union Station, but over in an inset, just before you go the the restrooms area is a long two tiered marble ledge. Back when I did tours for ten years, I would always take visitors to the City to that unique marble area and let them observe the footprint indentations in the marble. That is all that's left of the old shoe shine stand where soldiers passing through KC on troop trains, during WWII would stop and get their shoes shined.

Each of us leave footprints behind in this life.  They are being etched into the marble of the hearts of those we come into contact with.  

Walk intentionally.  Walk with care.

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

when judgment stops

I think that most of us by nature tend to gravitate towards right vs wrong, good vs bad, right vs left.  This ongoing need to divide people into two groups creates a good deal of worry and angst in our lives.  Folks that get fixated in the world of judgments end up living a life that is constantly consumed by conflict.

So what if someone voted for the other candidate.  Does that make them bad?  Does that make them an enemy?  So what if someone has a different opinion from you on capital punishment?  So what if they root for the other sports team?  We have come to define ourselves by being on a certain team instead of being on the human team.

Jesus loved everyone.  He welcomed everyone.  He embraced Jayhawks, and Gators and Tigers and Seminoles.  Labels meant nothing to him.  It did not bother him that Matthew was a tax collector or Simon a Zealot.  Peter wasn't seen as an uneducated fisherman, he was seen as a person created by God, because Jesus saw him for what he was.

Someone will say to me, "but Jeff, they are wrong!"  Maybe so, but that is not mine to judge.  Judge not lest ye be judged.  Yes they may or may not be going to heaven, but who made me in charge of that?  Are you in charge of that?   When we set ourselves up as the judge, all of life becomes a tension filled courtroom.

On the other hand, when we begin to release ourselves from the need to judge others- love, peace and joy rise to the top.  It is like they were there all the time, we just had to get ourselves out of the way.

Try it.  Make a concerted effort to release others from the labels of the past and just see them as someone that God made.  What the world needs now is love- still.

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

Seeing into a person's soul

It is such an unusual thing, it is hard to describe.  There are some people, that for some reason, you can kind of  "see into their soul."  Maybe it's a spouse, maybe a friend or relative, but you can see into their souls.

Someone once said that the eye is the window of the soul.  I believe that they were on to something.  If you look at people, and if they let you see in, you can often see what is really there.  Sometimes I see hurt in others, sometimes I see fear, but my favorite thing to see is goodness.  Some folks are just good souls.  It is like they have lived through hell and still see the good.  They are beyond judgment.  They look at others and value them.

When we start seeing people as souls, we stop worrying about if they are young or old, pretty or not, rich or poor, etc.  We just see the goodness in them and the value of who  they are as a child of God.  I believe that God looks at us and sees the good.  He made us and called his creation good.

Look someone in the eyes today and offer them a sincere thank you for whatever they may be doing.  Really you are just recognizing them, seeing them, seeeeeeing them, and letting them know that they are valued.  We were made to love and value others.

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

An old friend called

An old friend called me the other night. I got to catch up with someone that I had not talked to for a while.

Oh, it was so delightful. To hear a familiar voice, to hear the joy, the laughter, the memories. Oh, it was so very good. 🙂😊😊

Please call the people that you care about. You will be glad that you did.

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

not enough parties

We don't throw enough parties.

We are too serious.  We are too consumed with making a buck and all of the tasks at hand.  Even parties become something that we must do, that must be perfect, that are dreaded, and finally we are relieved that they are over.

There are lots of parties in the Bible.  Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding in Cana.  David danced before the Lord.  There are many stories about the great banquet in heaven.

Friends, life is to be celebrated, enjoyed, savored.  What if we threw a party for no reason at all?   Set a date, invite who you will, and just enjoy being with those you love.  Don't clean the house, don't make expensive food, just make it easy.  No worries.

Everyone bring something easy.  I'll put on the music.  Walk in and smile.

We don't throw enough parties.

How about a party, a celebration, just because we are alive?  Isn't that worth a heartfelt, joyful smile every now and then.  We need to dance with life.

For no reason at all, throw a party!  I love it.

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

faith

I went to a movie on Thanksgiving day.  During one the of the previews there was this line, "when you have no possessions, the only thing that matters to you is your faith."

I think that this is very true.  We get caught up in our cars, clothes, homes, and stuff.  They can easily become idols that interfere with our faith.  Everything that we own, owns a piece of us.

In Nicaragua, there is a faith in the hearts of the people that is pure and clear.  It is all they have to hold on to.  They have no worldly items in which to put their trust, and so their trust falls to where all trust should fall..... to our Father.

How can we move our faith away from objects, to the Almighty God?  Here are some ideas.
1.  Recognize that you don't need more.  Stop collecting more stuff.  No more garage sales shopping.
2.  Wear the same old clothes.  No need to buy new simply because you are tired of the old.
3.  Be satisfied with that TV, even if it isn't the latest version.  Same thought with your phone.  We don't need the new iPhone.
4.  Start giving things away.  Find someone that needs what you have more than you do, and give them some of your stuff.

Free yourself from the power of things by distancing yourself from them.  When we begin to do this, we begin to find the life that truly is life.

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

to know

There are some comforting thoughts in this life:

• to know that I don't have to fear death
• to know that I have a home to go to
• to know that my children are doing ok
• to know that God always gives me a second chance
• to know that I can, we can probably figure our problems out
• to have tools in the garage
• to have people that like me

Probably the most comforting thought in the world though, the one that makes such a difference to me is this:  there are people that love me.

For all of my faults, in spite of my mistakes, there are people that love me.  I hope that you have people that love you.  It makes all the difference in the world.

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

smile

There are people in this life that just make me smile.

Is it their kindness?  Is it their humor?  Is it their persistence to stay positive?  I don't know, but they are a blessing to me.

In a world where too many people are seeds of worry and angst for us, I certainly hope that you have people in your life that make you smile.  You know, you just see them from across the room and they light you up. I hope you have people like that.

Be that person to someone else.

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

favorite time of the week

  

I realized something the other day- one of my favorite times of the week is Sunday morning before worship service.

This is when I get to see people up close.  This is when I get to look into the eyes of some of the most amazing people that God has ever made and smile at them and with them.  This is when our brief greetings and brief gazes tell each other that life is still good and everything is ok. This is a moment that we are reminded that all is well.

Community is built one person at a time.  The world is changed, one person at a time.  The kingdom comes one person at a time.  

I love every person that I get to talk to on Sunday morning.  Maybe that is why I hope to see you in church.  When we see each other there, we have a common desire of finding joy in something that is bigger than we are.

One of, probably my favorite time of the week................ Sunday before service.
Today is the day.  I hope to see you!!

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

why can't I sleep?

I used to sleep like a baby.
A few years ago I realized that this was changing.  I fell into a pattern of sleeping for about 4 hours, then waking up, wandering around the house, and trying to go back to sleep.

One of my older friends said, "welcome to old age."

Now it is a pretty common occurrence. Four hours of good sleep in the bed, followed by an hour or two of wandering the house, cleaning up or working on the computer, finishing with an hour of sleep on the couch.

I would much prefer to sleep all night for 8 hours.  It does not seem to have anything to do with what is going on in my life.

Any suggestions?

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

Tikker

I was talking with a friend and noticed her unusual watch. I asked her what it was. She said, "it is a Tikker." From the Tikker web site:

The Tikker Watch was designed to provide you with a constant reminder that life is truly short and we should take advantage of the time we have on this planet. The Tikker System will give you an estimate of your life expectancy and then counts down every second so you can make choices that will enhance your life such as exercise, a healthy diet, or finding ways to reduce stress. Buy one now and you will see how it immediately and positively affects you and those around you. Start a new way of looking at life today.

Ahh, a tool that we see every day that reminds us of the brevity of life! Ahh, another opportunity to see the value of every moment of every day.

I like it.

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

unusual writing

I have a friend who has an unusual way/style of writing. A brilliant man who made and makes a huge difference in my life. In response to an email from me, he wrote this:

at least
once
a week
someone
i meet
on the street
mentions
you
and i
remember
almost
daily
what
was
still
is
even
though
for no reason
understood
i dont make
contact
now
very late
i am

So I decided to write back to him in his own style. Here is what I sent him......

I
will never
forget
what
we had

have
amazing
it was
love
never
ends
i
thank
god
for
every
thursday
that we
met.
holy
holy
holy
i
love
you

Oh my friends, let us pause and give thanks to God for every friend that has made a difference in our lives.

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

a good song

A friend sent me this link and thought I should post the lyrics to this song. I agree.

here is a link to the official video

Tim McGraw - Humble and Kind

"Humble And Kind"

You know there's a light that glows by the front door
Don't forget the key's under the mat
When childhood stars shine,
Always stay humble and kind

Go to church 'cause your mamma says to
Visit grandpa every chance that you can
It won't be wasted time
Always stay humble and kind

Hold the door, say "please", say "thank you"
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb
But always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride
But always stay humble and kind

Don't expect a free ride from no one
Don't hold a grudge or a chip and here's why:
Bitterness keeps you from flyin'
Always stay humble and kind

Know the difference between sleeping with someone
And sleeping with someone you love
"I love you" ain't no pick-up line
So always stay humble and kind

Hold the door, say "please", say "thank you"
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb
But always stay humble and kind
When those dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride
But always stay humble and kind

When it's hot, eat a root beer popsicle
Shut off the AC and roll the windows down
Let that summer sun shine
Always stay humble and kind

Don't take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you're going don't forget turn back around
And help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind

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

Happy Birthday

Daughter Jenny and Cathy

Happy Birthday to my dear wife Cathy!

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

the essential part of the equation

Piggybacking on yesterday's post. The essential part of Christianity is learning to die to one's self. We fight this tooth and nail. After spending our entire lives learning to stick up for ourselves, we one day wake up to the invitation [which has always been there] to put the heart of God first...... Before me, before my will, before my comfort, before any of us, should come the desire to love others.

The scriptures are full of invitations for us to die to self. Romans 12:10 says

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another."


What are ways that we prefer others? What are ways that we honor others? Here are some that I can think of:

1. drive as if they have a right to be on the road too.
2. let them go before you at the grocery store.
3. let them pick where you go to eat.
4. hold back critical comments
5. assume not that I am right, but that I may be wrong about them.
6. see difficult people as dearly loved by God.
7. let them sit in your pew
8. smile and say hello to everyone.
9. leave a bigger tip

There are 10,000 other ways to honor others. Please add to the list. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

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

the two functions of religion

Richard Rohr was writing last week about the two functions of religion.

The first is to help one's self find it's true identity in God.  We are created by him and loved by him.  We are alive in Christ.  We have a true identity, its in him.

The second function of religion is to eradicate the self.  Rohr quotes Ken Wilbur,  "the second function of religion does not fortify the separate self, but utterly shatters it.  Mature spirituality offers not consolation but devastation, not entrenchment but emptiness, not complacency but explosion, not comfort but revolution.  Rather than bolster our habitual patterns of thinking, it radically transforms our consciousness and gives us what Paul calls the mind of Christ."

It is sad that so many Christians identify themselves by their position, their power, and their possessions.  None of those things matter.  We are all souls on a journey toward God.  We find our identify "in Christ."

Unfortunately, since we find our identity in the wrong things, we hold tightly to the self.  We protect it, even when Jesus calls on us to lose our selves and to die to our selves.

The world would be a much happier place if Christians discovered their true identity and allowed their lives to be spent each day, living each moment as the hands and feet of Christ.

Today is a new day.  Let's give it a try.

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

2 friends

Two friends were talking before Thanksgiving.

Friend 1:  "Are you going somewhere for Thanksgiving?"
Friend 2:  "No.  I am hosting Thanksgiving."
Friend 1:  pauses - "Why don't you host Thanksgiving every day?"

I love this story.  Why don't you host Thanksgiving every day?  Why don't I?
Why don't we all recognize that when we are awake to what God is doing in the world, everyday is or should be Thanksgiving.  Let's host it!

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

another story from my life

It is a Wednesday night in 1974.

          After work one day at the bicycle shop, I drove my blue 63 Ford Galaxie to church for an evening Bible Study.  I sat in the back - on the very back row.  I listened to Pastor Gerald Fry talk about the way that God can touch your heart by the Holy Spirit.  As he spoke, I felt a tingling all over me, as if God had come down and flooded the inside of my body.  With each word that the Pastor spoke, I was struck with a deeper desire to have this God.

            After the study was over and the crowd had disbursed, I went up to the front and asked the pastor to pray for me.  He did.  He prayed for me to have the Holy Spirit.  When I left there, I felt that I did indeed have the Holy Spirit.

Looking back on this story years later, I would not describe this as a conversion, because I was already a Christian.  And I believe that when you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells in you.  So I did not receive the Holy Spirit that night, He was already with me.  But it did seem to be some kind of a quickening or awakening.  All these years later it is still a very good memory that makes me smile.

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

a note from a friend

Almost everyone that lives in Cape Coral moved here from somewhere else.  So everyone around here knows what it is like to move away from friends.  Here is a note from one of my KC friends, just telling me about their day.  I was so proud of them and their heart for the kingdom.  😎

it sure is a good thing to be kind and pay it forward.
I was in Chicago for a business meeting all week last week. On Sunday I went to lunch at Ditka’s and ordered two burgers and fries, one of them was to go. In conversation with my server she learned I was getting the second to give to a random homeless person. She was so touched. I found someone on the street and gave it to them. The person was grateful but not extremely so. Oh well I thought they are going through a tough time and I am not to judge their reaction. I felt good.
Later I bought a wrap at Starbucks for another person and later gave someone else some money.
My heart and mind were in a good place that day and I wanted to share my good fortunate with a few other folks.

Oh how stories like this thrill my heart.  Notice that my friend was not concerned that the recipient was not grateful, they were just glad to help.  Friends there is so much joy in helping others.  Remember Jesus ended the story of the Good Samaritan by saying, "go thou and do likewise."

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