stories

I told a couple of personal stories in worship on July 11th. They were stories of my call to ministry. Most of the people present had not heard them before because I have never told them in a sermon like that before.

I have been hesitant to tell those stories, not because I was afraid that someone would not believe them, but because they are very powerful and very personal and I have never wanted anyone to feel funny if they don't have a story like that.

I have now heard from one person who does not believe what I said.

I am sorry about that. I wonder what it feels like to think that your pastor made up those stories. But the fact of the matter is, as out of the ordinary as those stories are, those things happened to me, exactly as I related them. I cannot deny them or change them, or explain them other than to relate what happened. I am not sorry for them, I am not embarrassed by them. It just is what it is.

And so we each thank God for our lives and our stories and it's another beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Triangle

The Grandview Triangle. It will always be the Grandview Triangle. You can call it three trails crossing if you want to, but to those of us who grew up with the traffic jams there, it will always be the triangle.

Now there is a massive engineering failure in the new highway system. Did you see the pictures on the news? Wow. An entire chunk of the big retaining wall slide down the hill. The wall was followed by tons of dirt and two lanes of westbound 470.

I remember when 470 did not exist. I remember when 435 did not exist. I remember driving to Lees Summit in 1978. I had to take Bannister road all the way out. Now some will be experiencing the same traffic patterns. If you want to get to Overland Park from Lees Summit, good luck.

I love and respect engineers, but you have to marvel at the way that God's world can confound our greatest designs. We have subdued much of the earth, but God is still God.

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

Hillcrest

After mentioning in service that I wanted to use God's talents and abilities more often to help others, I got a call from a friend. He is the project manager for the new Hillcrest facility in Sugar Creek.

I went down there on Friday and took a tour and received some assignments. There is painting of walls, painting of trim, there is an old floor that needs to be pulled up with crow bars. There is some trim to remove and replace and there is some other trim that needs to be installed.

Hillcrest is a program that houses homeless people and trains them to reenter the world. Hillcrest provides financial counseling and helps the people get back on their feet. I am not explaining what they do very well, but it is a very good program.

If you would like to help me paint walls, paint trim, pull up an old floor, or remove and install some trim, please comment with your name and phone number or send me an email.

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

accomplishment

There is joy in accomplishment. Saving enough money to pay your bills. Working hard on a project until it is completed. Evaluating and solving a problem.

Mowing the grass. Painting the house. Reading a book. Getting a college diploma. Each task that we do gives us the joy of a job well done.

Some want the joy without the work. The freedom without the responsibility. My Dad always said, "work first, play later." It is great advice. The book of Ecclesiastes has alot to say about the joy that men and women can get from their toil. If you enjoy your job, your work or your task, then you understand that, but if you don't it makes it a little harder.

The scriptures ask us to work as if working for the Lord. Next time you are in the middle of some task or career that you find less than satisfying, change the way that you see your tasks. You are working for the Lord. Does that change your perception?

There is great joy in life in accomplishing things that need to be done. Get up early, apply yourself, sweat, drink a glass of water and stay with the task. The reward at the end is the satisfaction of a job well done.

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

Mad

People get mad for the strangest of reasons. Some people will drop you like a stone for next to nothing. You didn't mean for something to go the way it did, but they are done with you. Maybe the thing didn't go the way they think it did, but they are done. My favorite is when you do the right thing and people get mad. Or when someone does something wrong and you call them on it, and then they are mad at you.

Anyway, life is too short to carry a grudge. Life is too precious to walk around with an angry heart. Love keeps no record of wrongs.

If you are mad, get glad. Get your silly pride out of the way and forgive that person. You will be letting both of you out of prison.

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

Oil Leak

Well maybe we have this crazy oil leak stopped. I hope so. I say we, because it is all of our leak. If you drive a car, then you use some of the oil that they get out of the ground. I like cars so I am ok with drilling for oil, but I sure wish this had not happened.

I wonder what God would say. "Hey, people, thanks for poking a hole in my earth and soiling the beaches and killing the sea. Good work."

But we have technology and it brings us many good things. It also makes us go faster and farther and live more dangerously. Technology gives us lots of joy but we can also allow it to rob us of the simple things of life. We watch TV instead of sitting on the porch and talking to neighbors. We rush all over town in our cars instead of staying home and reading good books.

Well, those are choices that we make. I hope the oil leak is stopped for good. I am pretty sure that God is hoping that it is stopped too. If nothing else, I think there is a little party in heaven today because the hole appears to be plugged.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, and less oily. Be sure to see the good.

what are you reading?

On vacation last week I was reading a book about leadership. One of the things that the book said is that we all have to keep learning. Keep reading. Keep learning. Otherwise we get stagnant, complacent and even arrogant, thinking that we have all the knowledge that we need.

I am not asking if you are reading devotionally. I hope that you are. This is a question about what you are reading that is challenging your paradigms. What programs are you interested in at the church? Who are the current great thinkers on these programs? What books have they written? Is one of them in your possession?

When we are all reading and learning from great people, our collective brains and hearts are stronger and we are all more focused on our mission.

Let me know what you are reading. And if you are not reading and would like some ideas, let me know what areas of the church you are interested in.

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

grace alone

Last night I was at the grocery store and I ran into a friend from church. He said, "good sermon Sunday." I didn't remember seeing him on Sunday. He said, "yes I wasn't there, but I listened to the sermon on the web site."

He got a tear in his eye and he said, "gosh I miss church when I am not there, I so miss singing the song 'Grace Alone.' " Crying in the grocery store. I love it.

I was so pleased to see that he was touched by that song because I am touched by it too. I am glad to know that he feels this way about his church, even when he is not there. I always tell people that i love our church, but I am of course a bit prejudiced.

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

how much?

A friend asked me on Sunday, "when Jesus asks us to give all, what does that mean?" I told them that you still have to take care of your family and that if you give away everything and cannot feed your family, that would be wrong. I guess that is as good as I could do on short notice.

Jesus asked us to do some interesting things. Love him more than our father and mother. Lose it all to find our soul. Go and sell all that you have and give to the poor. take up your cross. go the second mile. Ahh, the painful sayings of Jesus that make it clear that he is not just a nice guy who wants to comfort us, but that he is also the leader, the pioneer in a kingdom that demands our allegiance.

So how much do we give to him? This is a life question and a life journey for each of us. I would suggest that it begins with praying about all of your decisions. Including God in your decisions. Don't just buy a new car because you can. Ask God first. Don't just give such and such to the church because that is what you have always done. Ask God how to give. Don't just spend your time doing such and such because everyone else is doing it. Ask God.

As we begin to do this, the big ship of our lives begins to turn in the direction of giving it all to God, because he is now leading us.

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

The Carpenters

Many of you know that our long time friends and members, Bill and Pam Carpenter have left for two years in Paraguay. Pam will be the principal at a school there and Bill will be teaching some Bible Studies and doing what ever else God leads him to do.

They have started a blog of their journeys:

http://billandpamsparaguayadventure.blogspot.com

I am going to add their blog as a sidebar to this one. Please keep them in your prayers.

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

I'm Baaaack!

Jack Nicholson said it in the Shining. I think Jim Carey said it in the Mask. Maybe what he said in the Mask was, "did jah miss me?" After a week of vacation with the family, today, I am back. Back at home, back at church, back in the pulpit. I have missed you all.

I hope to see you a little later this morning at that church with the big green roof!

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

an investment tip

I read this the other day from the well known investor Warren Buffett:

"The power of unconditional love. I mean, there is no power on earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to your child, I mean, you’re 90 percent of the way home. There may be days when you don’t feel like it — it’s not uncritical love; that’s a different animal — but to know you can always come back, that is huge in life. That takes you a long, long way. And I would say that every parent out there that can extend that to their child at an early age, it’s going to make for a better human being.”

Invest our time…… offer our unconditional love to our children….…good stuff don't you think?

Now let’s take it a step further. Imagine if we did nothing else but follow “to the letter” the greatest commandments.

Matthew 22: 36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

How would the world look if everyone….I mean everyone…… followed those commandments everyday?……..hmm….you think maybe God had an investment tip for us to consider?

Peace,
Lion’s Den Man

village people

A few weeks back I attended an “end of a team” soccer party. All but a few of the team members are moving on to college now. The team had been together for 10 years. Most of the original players stayed together. The two coaches stayed the entire 10 years. Great guys. Contributors to the community……well beyond soccer. Character builders. I always knew when I dropped my daughter off she would be returned to me at least the same if not better. No berating. No inappropriate use of language. Always positive. These guys were dead set on not only teaching the game but teaching sound values.... I keep thinking how fortunate my wife and I have been to have had our daughter cared for in this manner. My son has an almost an identical situation with his baseball team....what a difference this makes.

I had breakfast with a high school teacher/coach yesterday. He loves his job. He loves to teach. He loves to help kids grow and learn and reach their potential....awesome.

So I guess I just want to say thanks........not only to these people I have mentioned, but to all those people who take the time to care, to teach and to nurture our kids. It takes good hearted people. It takes a village. I am in a good one.....thank you all.

Peace,
Lion’s Den Man

a story to share

This was written the other day by a friend. I thought this was worth sharing.
Peace,
Lion's Den Man

Another Independence Day

Another Independence Day has come and gone. This one seems to have a little more meaning to me. My wife and I got to spend some time with our good friends and their kids. After a long night of fun and fireworks we headed home looking forward to sleeping in on Monday morning. The dog awoke at 5:30AM to go out and we lay down on the sofa and curled up together. It was not long before I was dreaming of a time years ago.

I was on the couch sleeping but not with a dog by my side, it was my son. He was pretty small then maybe 3 or 4 and sound asleep. I reached over to wake my innocent child and he instantly went into the full body stretch that starts with the extension of the toes and ends with the arch of the back and the arms above the head. As a small sound escaped from his lips which indicated the success of the full body stretch he opened his eyes and a smile came across his face with the recognition of a loved one - his Dad. He started talking in that little boy voice that I had not heard in many years.

I suddenly awoke on the couch with my dog still by my side. Happiness, sadness, worries, longing - all of these emotions were running through me as I tried to remember and hold onto the scene that just played out in my dream.

I can’t remember what he said but I still feel the love shared by a smile between a Dad and his Son. You see my son is not here anymore. He is a long ways away. I miss him so. I long for the day to hold him close to me and tell him he is loved. One day I know I will get to do that.

As I mentioned earlier this Independence Day has more meaning to me. I have a better understanding of what families go through as their loved ones serve our country. My son is serving our country and is stationed half way around the world. I do miss him. I worry for him and I want him and his buddies to be safe. I look forward to the day that he comes home so I can hug his neck and tell him face to face how proud I am of him.

We should remember in prayer the men and women of our Armed Forces both past and present who gave of themselves so we can live in this great nation of ours. Before my son went into the military I never thought much about the sacrifices that have occurred that I might have a life here in the United States. That has all changed now.

We also have a God who gave a great sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ for all of us to have everlasting life. I look forward to the day that God puts his arms around me and tells me how proud he is of me. There is something about a Father’s love!

Fisher of Men

connection

I received a text message yesterday from a good friend…… “miss you my friend” The timing was eerie. He had been on my mind quite a bit lately. We are going to get together soon and catch up. It will be good, I miss him.

Last Thursday I received a similar text from another friend. “I was just thinking about you for some reason. Is everything ok?” Well it wasn’t but my troubles seemed to disappear when I read his words.

Interesting how some people connect with us from a distance. What makes that happen? Now I will say that both of these connections were with people I consider to be close friends. People I am not afraid to share my life with. I don’t fear judgment from them. I believe they see me through Christ’s eyes and that is how I always try to see them.

Those who know me, know how strongly I feel about developing friendships that go below the surface. A place where you can let your guard down. There is a bond that we can have with others which brings us closer to Christ. Once that happens I can’t help but feel that God is the one who keeps those connections going even from a distance.

Peace,
Lion’s Den Man

no insignificant grace

First, no matter how you appear to others today, everyone has a dark side. You would be amazed if you knew the darkness lurking in the pasts of those people who have made a difference in your life. Regardless of how we look, we all have a past that is neither pleasant nor encouraging.

Second, regardless of what you have done, no one is beyond hope. That is the great hope of the Christian message. No amount or depth of sin in your past can trump the grace of God. If you question that remember Saul of Tarsus.

Third, even though your past is soiled, anyone can find a new beginning with God. It is never too late to start doing what is right.

Remember….don’t get stuck on where you were. Don’t waste time focusing on what you used to be. Grace gives us wings to soar beyond it.

These words above came from a book a friend shared with me. He is a good friend to me. He walks with a limp. I walk with a limp. We share our weakness and shortcomings with each other. It helps us move forward. Both of us have accepted God’s grace. Grace makes us feel whole again. Grace allows us to move forward. Grace empowers us to work on His behalf…….

GRACE………No amount or depth of sin in your past can trump the grace of God.


Peace,
Lion’s Den Man

53

July 5, 1957
Happy Birthday Jeff!

Showing Up.

The most beautiful moments of my life have occurred when I simply showed up. Most of the time, I can't predict what is going to happen in a situation. Try as I might, I can't explain every possible outcome. Sometimes I don't have the right answer for the struggling friend. Sometimes I don't really know what it means to worship God right now. Sometimes it's not clear how I should pray.

But I can still go share that cup of coffee and see what happens. I can still limp into the sanctuary and sit down. I can still fall to my knees and wait for the words to come. When I don't know what to do, I hope I still show up.

I think we all go through periods where showing up is the best we can do. If you're in that place right now, it is okay. Looking back, I can see that God shows up, too.

Marking Time.

Holidays are natural markers of time. I can tell you exactly where I was for the last four Fourths. I can even remember what I was feeling on each of those days. Four years ago, I was a little lonely. Three years ago, I was falling in love. Two years ago, I spent the Fourth with Tricia for the first time. Last year, we were soon to be married. Now, look at us. Newlyweds.

And today I’ll be down in the Branch serving Communion at 10:10. Will Willimon compares Communion to a Christian family dinner. Mysteriously, Christ is present with his family. Most of the time, I am strangely aware of his presence and of the special bond I share with my family gathered around the Communion table.

Four years ago, I didn’t feel this way.

Four years ago, I bought a Bible for myself. Growing up, I received a lot of Bibles from other people, but I bought this one just for me. Like I said, I was lonely. I wanted to know if Jesus had anything to say about what I was feeling. The other day, I was flipping through this Bible and I had written on the first page – the one usually reserved for whoever gave you the Bible. It was dated June 28, 2006. Under the “Occasion,” I wrote “Finding God for the 1st Time.”

Now, my understanding of that has changed a little bit. I would say that God found me. I would say that he continues to find me, and I see myself a little clearer in his light. When he finds me, he embraces me, but it is not always the soft embrace of a Mother. Often, it feels like the hard embrace of a Father who will not let go, no matter how hard I squirm.

But today is the day of the soft embrace. I sit still, and I consider all that has changed over the past four years. I have grown – sometimes steadily, and occasionally in anxious fits. There is plenty more growing to do, but I am here now, marking time and giving thanks to the One who finds me and holds on for dear life.

With love,

a young shepherd.

Whose Story Is It?

It seems to me that the Hebrew Scriptures (The Old Testament) were written specifically for the Jewish people, who were trying to obey God. Likewise, The New Testament was written specifically for the Church, the people who understand Jesus to be the perfect human reflection of this God. If this is true, then our scriptures were not written for us to tell people outside the faith how they should live their lives. The scriptures were written for those of us attempting to be the church, so that we may live out these words.

For this reason, I don’t care whether they take the Ten Commandments out of the American courthouses. The question is: Have I obeyed the Commandments today?

I don’t care whether they allow people to pray before high school football games. The question is: Have I remembered to pray today?

I don’t care whether we are pledging allegiance to one nation “under God.” The question is: Have I pledged my allegiance to God, period?

I could go on, and you may disagree with me. I love to dialogue with people about things such as these. Even more, I love the thought of us learning to disagree well. For me, that means that we keep on loving each other in a way that lifts up the person over the person’s opinion, so that our opinions may be shared even more freely.

But the bottom line for me is that I am attempting to follow Christ, and be his disciple, and join together with other disciples in the community we call the church. And that means that I must learn to read the Scriptures in a way that shapes my life, and allows me to be the kind of member of this community that Jesus intended. This does not mean that I am not concerned with “reaching others” outside of the faith. I simply think that I must embody – or live out – my faith in Christ so that others may see. We live in a world that says “don’t tell me; show me” and this is what I aim to do.

After all, is this not the pattern given to us? The Good News is that God did not remain distant from his people, issuing decrees on how we should live. He came to us as a man so that we might see what “God is love” really looks like.

I doubt that people outside the faith really care how much we think they should listen to God’s Word. The question is: Are we listening?

With love,

a young shepherd.

Thoughts on Church

You can’t “go to church.” To use that phrase implies that church is something outside of our selves. It is not a place; it is not a destination; it is not a day of the week; it is not a building. Church is the Body of Christ, which is the group of people choosing to follow Him together in community.

This understanding, “the Body of Christ,” may have lost some of its “oomph” the way that phrases often do. Maybe it is because of overuse or because we haven’t stopped to consider the depth of its meaning. Our bodies are alive. Our bodies are composed of vital organs working together in harmony to perform one singular purpose. This purpose is life.

Rightly understood, Sunday morning – or whenever the church meets for communal worship -- is just one expression of this Body coming together. You might say that this is just one form of exercise for the Body, a way of bringing our spiritual muscles into formation. But I wonder if it is possible for this Body to ever be in shape if we only exercise one hour per week. I wonder if we are missing out on the other forms of exercise that we need.

The point of this post is not to say that “we should be doing more.” Maybe I am simply suggesting that we need more. Maybe many of us are spiritually struggling by Sunday morning, because we have not yet discovered how to be the church together throughout the week. This is not another commandment. It is a recipe for those of us who are spiritually hungry. Jesus’ model of prayer reveals that we should ask for our daily bread.

It is no wonder that many of us are starving if we only remember to eat once per week.

With love,

a young shepherd.

Love is the Answer.

On Monday around one o’clock, I was eating my lunch with my wife Tricia in the coffee bar area of our church's building. Someone came in with a Bible question. He wanted to know what the Bible has to say about some very serious problems his close friend is facing. My wife smiled at me, because she knows me. She knows I live for these moments.

I wish sometimes that I was better at making small talk. If you’ve ever asked me how I’m doing, you may have noticed that I don’t usually have much to say. I’m just not much of a casual chatter. But I love to analyze. I love to wax philosophical. Apparently, so does my new friend from Monday.

At the same time, it is extremely nerve-wracking to sit in front of someone who thinks you have the Answer. It seems to me that life is not that black and white all the time. But as we were chatting, I began to take solace in being unsure. I started thinking that this conversation is more about the search. More specifically, it is about the two of us searching together.

We may not find the answer, but we can look together. We can ask questions together.

Knowing that you do not know is a beautiful thing. It leads us deeper into wonder. And what is even more beautiful is feeling a sense of wonder in the company of your friends. We do not have the answer, but we have time for each other. We have time for conversation. We have time for big questions. We may sense that the Answer exists, but we also sense our own fallibility. The answer eludes us. We’re never sure that we’re sure, and this mystery draws us deeper and deeper into relationship.

When I am struggling, Christ does not always give me the answer. But he always gives me Himself. I am beginning to see that is the answer. I am often overwhelmed by the problems that people are facing around me, but His grace is enough. And his grace is revealed through the simple reality of his presence.

There is a paradigm I can follow. When people are searching for answers, search with them. Make space for them in your life. Be present, and wait for the presence of Christ to transform both of you. After all -- as Paul writes in his First Letter to that little Church in Corinth -- we only know a little bit, and even this will pass away in the end (1 Cor. 13).

But love never ends. Even when we don’t know the answer – or especially when we don’t know the answer – we can choose to love each other.

With love,

a young shepherd.

thank you

Thank you for the comment on yesterdays post that appears to be in disagreement. I totally agree with what you are saying.

Anytime a person gives a sermon, gives a speech, makes a point, it is hard to cover every angle of the topic. If I talk about love, someone asks if they should be a doormat. If I talk about sin, someone asks about grace. If I talk about grace someone asks about sin. It is just difficult to cover every aspect of a topic. And each topic has an opposing side that makes a good point as well.

The point of the sermon or the blog post was not to encourage people to celebrate their opulence or to be disrespectful to those who are hurting financially. The point I was trying to make is that in all things we should honor God and bring him into our lives. I don't want anyone to feel guilty about what they have, but I do want us all to feel responsible. When we bring God into the middle of the things that we love, they tend to get more submitted to him really quick.

Even those who are struggling in this difficult economy have things that they love and things that God should be brought into. So I encourage you all, whether you have much or little, to thank God for all things and to bring him into every moment of your life.

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

as if

If you were in service on Sunday, you have already heard this. I repeat myself simply because I have heard from a few that struggle with guilt.

Do you feel guilty about loving or enjoying things in your life? One of the problems with inappropriate guilt is that if you follow it to it's logical conclusion, we should all get rid of everything we love and sit in church with nothing. Then we can pray this prayer,

"ok, God, here I am, I gave away everything I love, I have nothing left in life that I enjoy. I am here for you now. I am not very happy, but I am here for you with nothing."

Do you think that is what God wants? I don't. I think that God wants us to thank him for the things that we enjoy and to thank him for the feelings that those things give to us. When we acknowledge him in these things, our relationship with them changes and they become things that we know have come from God.

Yes, we should be good stewards. Yes we should give back and give sacrificially. But, once we understand that we are only enjoying what God has allowed us to have, once we put those things into his hands, they should be enjoyed. Guilt free. Grousing Christians do not bring glory to God.

Life is good. Celebrate it.

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

yesterday

One of the things that I enjoy the most about being a pastor is when a young person lets you know that you are reaching them. Gosh, if we are making connections with young people, that is awesome.

Yesterday a 14-15 year old girl stopped on the way out of church to tell me that she really loved the sermon. It helped her so much. I said, thank you. She said, I have a friend that is telling me that I am sinning all the time and today you told me that I can live my life, celebrate my life and trust God. She said that she struggles with depression and her friend says that depression is a sin.

[who teaches young people that everything is a sin? who teaches them that they should go around laying all of that guilt on their friends?]

I told her that she knows right from wrong and she knows when she is doing something wrong, but depression is not a sin, it is a condition.

She was happy. Her mother was happy. I was happy. When we are connecting with young people, it doesn't get any better than that.

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

cats in the cradle

Last night my daughter came home from work at 9pm. I was in the middle of a movie. In for the night, relaxing. "Dad, take me for a motorcycle ride," she says.

"Ah. Um. Hey, I am right in the middle of this movie. How about tomorrow night," says Dad. Jenny says, "ok" and heads up to her room.

Then it happens to me. The voice of the preacher in my head. The voice of Harry Chapin singing about how his kid wanted to spend time with him, but he was too busy. I pause the movie and call to her. She bounds down the stairs joyfully.

Off we go, into the night. It's a ride down memory lane. Past the parsonage, past the house that we lived in for a few years after that that I told her mother was not going to work for us, past the old church, her grade school [she commented that she was able to remember the Chapel Lakes fight song], past her middle school, then around the new church and home.

Last night a memory was made. Not so much a memory of a ride, but a memory of a time when Dad said to child, "you matter more." I finished the movie and went to bed, pleased that I had made the right decision.

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

the watering can

If you are squeamish, skip this post. You have been warned.

We have a plastic green watering can that lives in the garage. It lives right next to the overhead door so that if I need to water some flowers that the hose won't reach, it is right there. I have got into the habit of filling it up full and leaving some water in it so that I don't have to fill it so often. Since we have had a good cadence of rain, I have not used it for a long time. So to recap: water can, half full of water, sitting in garage for a long time.

"What is that smell?" My wife kept asking. I told her it was the trash. But even after the trash was out to the street, the smell lingered. Yesterday I picked up the watercan which I have not moved for months. Whew. The smell is the water can. I look inside. The water is brown. For some reason, the water in the can has soured. I take the can around the house to the hose bib and dump the water out. I turn on the hose and clean out the inside, and here they come: those lovely bones. Little bones.

At first I thought it was a bird, but then I realize there are no feathers. What ever it was, got in the bucket looking for water, and could not get back out. Died, right in the garage and completely decomposed in the watercan. Nothing left but bones. Frog? Mouse? Impossible to tell at this point.

There are many morals to this story. Sometimes we get ourselves into places that we can't get out of. Look before you leap. Water is a good and needful thing, but too much of a good thing can get a person off track. Think it through. Well over half of the problems that people tell me about are self-induced.

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

our mission

Our mission at Woods Chapel is ________ _____ to _____ _____. Were you able to fill in the blanks? Our mission at Woods Chapel is connecting people to Jesus Christ.

Last night I was at a dinner put on by an arm of the national church. There were 21 people present, 13 of them from Woods Chapel. Part of the reason for that is that one of the organizers is a member of our church. When she got up to speak, she was talking about direction and purpose and she asked the folks from Woods Chapel if they knew their mission. Without hesitation, the Woods Chapel crowd stated our mission in unison.

I was of course very proud of them.

When we know what we are about, it directs the flow of energy. We cease being the lost and tend to become those who are helping others find their way. What is your life about? What is your mission? Each of us, each day are able, if we are willing to share God's love and so connect people to Jesus.

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

brokenness

Last night I sat with an angel. We talked about brokenness. About how everyone is broken in one way or another. Some pretend that they are not, but they are. We spoke of the sadness that comes into a life when people act like they are not broken, and the joy that can come into a person's life when they are honest about who they are.

We spoke of the gift that people that love can give to each other's brokenness.

A broken person sits at your table. They are expecting to be judged, ridiculed and rejected. But you give them something else. You welcome them. You hug them- for a bit longer than they expected. You cry with them. You acknowledge their stuff. Maybe we can't fix it, but we at least hear it and we welcome you and we love you.

This is the gift that one real person gives to another. It is the gift of love. It is the gift of Christ. It is a Jesus thing. Maybe it is the Jesus thing. Is there anything more holy than to love someone who was expecting to be rejected and thrown away? Look for someone like that today and when you find them, tell them that everything is ok. Tell them that they are accepted, that they matter to you. Hug them for just a little bit longer than they were expecting. Make your point. Make God's point.

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

neurotic

I hurt your feelings. I know that I did. I could tell by the paper exchange that took place. Then I am sick to my stomach about the whole thing. I am worried. I tell myself that you are a good person and that we will patch it up. I find some solace in that, but it still eats on me. I am looking forward to the next time we see each other so that we can talk it out and make every thing ok.

Now we meet. Surprise. You are not mad. I have to explain what I was thinking to help you understand why I thought there was a problem. You did not even think there was a problem. I am relieved. You are a much better person.

Am I crazy? No, I am sure that there are many of you out there, just like me, who tend to be pleasers. I want to make everyone happy. It is both a gift and a curse.

So I thank God that his love for me and for us is unflinching. God is patient with us and waits lovingly for us to love him. I am glad that God encourages me/us to relax. Everything is ok. Don't worry, be happy. Can you gain one hour to your life by worry?

God wants us to enjoy life and celebrate the day. Even when we do things to upset people, we can usually patch it up. When we can't, we still have to go on. Try again, get up and go. Today is a new day. God is with us. Let's go share his love.

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

I am sorry

I am sorry, I was stupid.

Sometimes I cannot write about what is going on with me because I don't think that you want to hear about my stupidity. Like all people, I don't want to show my backside to people. But this is so bad, I have to tell someone how stupid I was.

By the way, when my children were young, no one in our house was allowed to say the word "stupid". It is just too painful and insulting, but today, I wear it well.

It was Memorial Day. My wife and I went to Mt. Washington cemetery. There we ran into two of my cousins. We had a nice visit. My cousins told me among other things that my sister in California was sick and was under going some tests.

Later that week I called my sister. I left a message. She called back and caught me at a time that I could not talk. [too busy with church stuff] Over the next three weeks, I called her and she called me and we played phone tag. Fifteen times during those three weeks I thought about calling her but I was too busy and here is where the stupid part comes in. My sister is sick, and I am too busy being the pastor to get her called and make the connection.

I am ashamed. Last night we finally made connection. She has lost 60 pounds and while that is good, she keeps losing past her goal weight. The doctors cannot figure out what is wrong. They tell her that she does not have cancer but so far they cannot diagnose her. She goes to see another one on Thursday.

I am sorry that I was so busy doing church stuff that I neglected to get my sister called. Please pray for her, her name is Amy.

And today we rise to a new opportunity. Thank you God that we are not bound by yesterday's mistakes.

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

the sunrise

The sunrise marks another day. Yesterday is gone and today is here. Although I may deal with the consequences of past choices, today I am free to make new ones. I am free. I have power. God gives me free will. I can choose to see the good, I can choose to celebrate each person that I see. I can choose to treat others as God treats me.

I have a friend that is condemning me. I choose to not be hurt by the judgement. I will simply choose to love them. They have chosen the path of the unmerciful servant who was forgiven by God, but refused to offer grace to another. I cannot help this, it is their choice. But I still have mine. My choices.

I will not be held back by negativity. I will not be wounded by arrows in the wind. The sun has come up and it is a new day. This is the day that the Lord has made. Do not miss his love and joy by being consumed by the unhappiness of another. Discover your happiness in the joy of God and share it with someone today. What a great victory you will give to the world as you allow God's love to be the most powerful thing in your life.

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

Father's Day

It is fathers day. I am up and gone from the house. There are no cards or gifts on the counter. That is perfectly fine with me. I want to be the kind of father that works and provides and protects so that his family can sleep in. I love them.

What do I want for fathers day? Hugs and smiles.
And I want my children to listen and learn. I want them to be prepared for life. I want them to respect their mother. [they do, I am just saying.]

That pretty much sums it up. Oh, and hugs and smiles.

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

Moles pt. 2

I heard some great comments from you about your experiences with moles and how you managed them. I got a picture sent from one of you joyously holding up mole traps as if to say, "now I am going to get them." Someone emailed me a story of being frustrated over the moles, coming home in a suit and seeing the ground move, then jumping with both feet to squish the varmint.

There is an interesting relationship between frustration and joy. It is like the level of satisfaction that we feel when victory is achieved corelates to the level of frustration that we feel over a problem like this.

I have set the trap. Nothing yet. The water thing did not work. I have put out poison pills that I got from an exterminator. They disappear and the mole comes back for more. The pills are the size of a half dollar and the mole has eaten 5 of them.

Sometimes there are problems that you can't solve the first time. You just have to stay after it. Persevere. Never give up, never give in. Right now the moles are winning, but the final chapter to this story has not yet been written. I will keep you posted.

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

take over

I will come back to the moles another day. Today I want to write about some things that you should never introduce into your yard. Things that sound like a good idea at the time, but later you will wish you had never planted them.

Let's start with Tiger Lillies. Pretty, tall, orange flowers. Beautiful, but very aggressive. Pretty soon your entire yard is a bed of Tiger lilies. Mint. Nothing worse. It smells good, and you will be happy that it fills in the intended space pretty quickly, but then the mint will move on. In a matter of days, it will be all sort of places that you don't want it, and it is very hard to kill. Finally there is Indian grass. Lovely. Wonderful to look at. But again, pretty soon, it is taking over the entire world. Hard to get rid of, hard to kill.

There are many lessons from the yard that transfer well into life. There are some things that you should not allow into your flower beds, and there are some things that you should not allow into your lives.

Hatred and resentment will take over your life. The love of anything that shouldn't be there will also grow out of control. Pretty soon our hearts are full of things that should not be there.

I have pulled out and killed all of the mint. It took two years. I have pulled almost all of the tiger lillies. The rest are not long for this world. The Indian grass, well I have not started on that yet, but it is going as well. When the things that take over are gone, then there is room for the kind of things that should be growing.

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

to the death

This story goes back a long way. It is an epic, life long battle between good and evil. Between man and beast. Between me and the mole.

Don't laugh. Moles are not cute. They are not benign and they are not anything that you want at your house.

This battle began when I was 19. A couple of moles decided to invade our property near 99th and Holmes. My father was at his wits end trying to eradicate them. My mother was in tears. Our backyard was being destroyed by the pesky little rodents.

It was during this time of desperation that I had an inspiration. It involved a garden hose and a shovel. I went out one afternoon to the scene of the crime. I stuck the hose in the newest hole, the farthest uphill and turned it on full blast. I watched and waited. After about ten minutes I saw some dirt being disturbed down the line. Time for the shovel. Chop chop dig dig, oh what a relief it was to find that I had ended the life of one of the varmints.

They raised the stakes. The next day, there was a new hole in the back yard. A really big one, and our dog was missing. He had sniffed around too much and had fallen victim to the critters. We never found our dog. Now the war was on. Over the next week I stayed at the hose and shovel bit until I caught another mole. Jeff 2, moles 1. With their ranks depleted, they retreated from our home to fight another day.

That day is here. They are back. I am engaged again in an age old battle of life and death. Mole vs Jeff. Somehow they found me. I have been at this for a couple of weeks and it is weighing on me. Please pray for me because so far I have been unable to make any headway.

They are digging up my yard and my flower beds. They are eating my poison and coming back for more. They are not responding to the hose and shovel bit. They have adapted. They have morphed into some sort of super mole. I must rise to the occasion. Caddyshack.

If you have any battle plans, please help me.

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

your word

When you tell someone you are going to do something, do it. Keep your word. Do the right thing. Never say that you will, then decide that you won't. People have a long memory when it comes to promises unkept.

Your honor is at stake. Few things are as valuable as the commitments that you make. So keep them. You will be happier and so will everyone else. The world makes sense to those who know who they are and live out their principles.

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

thou shalt not steal

It has happened again. Someone has stolen from the church. You know we were losing a few small things inside the building and security cameras put an end to that. A few years ago someone dug up and carried off one of our hostas. Around the same time, someone used a loader of some sort to pick up and haul off a rock the size of a washing machine.

The latest thievery involves a butterfly bush. The bush is about two feet tall and has pretty blue or purple flowers. I guess that someone saw it and decided that they needed it more at their house than the church did.

I am tempted to do a little drive around and see if I can see it in the neighborhood nearby. But you have to ask yourself, who would be able to enjoy a bush that they stole from a church? And so we pray for them:

"Lord, please bless the person that took the butterfly bush. May the bush flourish on their property. May the beauty of the shrub cause them to consider your glory. May you use that piece of creation to speak to their heart about who you are and your great love for all people. Bring them to a place where they want to tell others about your beauty. Bring them to a place where they want to provide that joy and celebration to others. So bless them and do your work in their life. In Jesus name, Amen."

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

the weather

I get a lot of requests to pray for certain weather. Pray for rain. Pray that it won't rain. Pray that the heat wave will break. Pray for snow. Pray for Spring.

Our requests for prayer have a good deal to do with our plans for the day. God please give me the kind of weather that is good for us today. Somehow it always comes back to what we want.

Well, today is the church golf tournament. Lot's of requests that it won't rain. "Jeff, please pray!" I always tell the folks that I am in sales, not management. The weatherman says that it is going to rain this morning. There is a big band of rain on the radar. But, lets pray anyway.

"Dear Lord, we thank you for a beautiful day. Thank you for the gift of sleep and for daily breath. Thank you for all of those who have worked hard on the golf tournament. We humbly ask that we could get this golf game in today. But if not, may we all enjoy the fellowship sitting in the clubhouse. In all things, we trust you and we love you. Thank you for the chance to share your love with others today. Rain or shine. In Jesus name, Amen."

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

available

Available. Someone needs a date to the prom. Are you available? Someone needs a babysitter. If you can help, it will bless them and allow them to achieve their goals. Are you available?

God would like to accomplish a few things in this world. Are you available? Everyone sounds like they want God to be present in their lives, but are you, am I willing to make ourselves available for his purpose? To the degree that we are available, we find the joy of being a part of the life and work of God.

What are you doing later today? Are you available?

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

facebook again

I still don't like facebook. In fact, I have a pastor friend who closed his facebook page because it can just take up all of your time. And so much of it is silliness. I usually get on it about every other week just to clean out all of the invitations to join a farm or share a plant.

Now we have the problem from yesterday. My oldest daughter who I won't name [Allison] decides that it would be funny to get on my facebook page and declare my status. So, she puts in one word..........I won't even repeat it, but it is an embarrassing medical condition that happens to folks when they have the flu or food poisoning.

I had no idea that she did this until I started getting emails.......about 20 of them from people who are commenting on the word. TMI! I'm sorry. I will pray for you. Everyone was very concerned about my medical condition that did not even exist. And my daughter is roaring with laughter.

Now, as a Christian, we are supposed to turn the other cheek. Vengeance is the Lord's, let him repay and all of that. Not this time. I am going to get even. I am going to find a way to get her back, but I don't have any good ideas. Do you? How can I return the joy to my daughter? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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

your deck

Last night I sat on your deck. You invited me over to celebrate a milestone in your life. I was only there a short time. That happens to me a lot. I may get somewhere, but I can only stay for a while.

The music was great. The weather was great. The company was superb. You asked for a guy hug and spoke to me. The things that you said made me cry. Your words totally turned around my day. I will remember being on your deck last night, for a long time.

Friends, never pass an opportunity to tell someone what they mean to you. Get ahold of them, make them stop and listen. It just may touch them in ways that you can't imagine.

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

the gates of hell

One of my friends hooked me up with a Kenny Loggins quote yesterday, "the gates of hell are locked from the inside."

I know that this is a generalization, and that we cannot fix every problem. [repeat] There are some things that happen to us that are outside of our control, but our attitude is within our control.

And then I think of the countless problems that people bring on themselves. I have done the same on many occasions. We don't like where we are, and we sit, waiting to be rescued by an outside delta force.

We have alot more power in many situations that we know. Sometimes our own choices can free us from a problem or at least make a radical change in our attitude.

The gates of hell are locked from the inside.

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

open mouth, insert foot

Please forgive me for the times that I speak or write something that doesn't come across right. I do try to engage brain before putting mouth or keyboard into gear, but occasionally a bit of foolishness just slips by. I am sorry for the times that I have allowed this to happen. Please forgive me.

Apologies would not be necessary if I was more careful, but I pray that you accept my sincere apology and focus on that, and not the words that hurt. It was not my intent to be hurtful, because I love you very much.

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

trees

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

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

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

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

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

?

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

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

Can you hear the birds sing?

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

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

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

Resurrection Blue Springs

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

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

It will open in August sometime.

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

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

perfect

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

Church.

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

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

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

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

do not publish

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

love

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

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

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

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

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

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

new friends

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

say it

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

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

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

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

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

The B-I-B-L-E

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

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

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

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

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

Happy reading!

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

getting older

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

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

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

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

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

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

my ministry

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

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

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

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

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

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

"no"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

swimming

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

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

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

It felt great. I should swim more often.

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

welcome new reader

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

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

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

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

losing things

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

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

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

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

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

lawn mower

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

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

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

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

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

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

1,000 people

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

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

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

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

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

root canal

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

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

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

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

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

Ouch. sore mouth today.

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

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

a text

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

:*(last4danitebut:Dcomesndamrnin

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

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

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

something good

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

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

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

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

scriptures from Sunday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

for the one

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

teeth

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

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

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

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

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

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

facebook

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

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

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

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

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

dream

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lou, continued

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

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

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

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

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

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

two new pair of glasses

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

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

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

Peace,
Lions Den Man

what do you call a dog with no teeth?

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

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

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

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

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

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

preacher 6, bushes 0

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

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

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

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

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

new member

An interesting story.

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

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

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

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

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

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

mother's day cards

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

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

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

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

Alli

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

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

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

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

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

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

colors

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

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

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

six things

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

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

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

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

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

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

1965

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

tis the season

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

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

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

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

California

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

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

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

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

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

feet on the ground

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

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

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

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

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