I've heard it

Someone said, "I've heard it all before. I have been in church so long, that I have heard all of the stories about God and Jesus. Nothing is new to me anymore."

And to this I say, it is important to hear the stories over and over. We humans have short memories. And we humans can get very calloused very quickly. Over time, questions and doubts come in. It is important to listen to the stories at least as much if not more than we listen to our doubts. To hear the story again is to savor it, to welcome it, to let it speak to you yet once more.

Yes you may have heard it all, but is thy heart still open to the message? I pray ye my friends, incline thine ear, open thine heart and lets the words of old speak to you afresh in this day.

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

nothing

Sometimes there is nothing that you can do. I can't control it, I can't fix it. I am not even on the playing field. I am not invited to the party. I am not in the circle that gets to speak to the thing.

All I can do is pray. But sometimes my praying seems to be an effort on my part to fix it or control it, and I realize that this is wrong, this is manipulative. I have not yet put the thing into God's hands. When I do put it in the hands of God, I trust him and I rest in him.

My praying becomes about being with him, not fixing the thing. There is nothing else that I can do but trust him. Thankfully, that is enough. So I must go on living and just understand that I can't fix everything and -

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

the kingdom

Religion makes people sad. Rules upon rules. Manipulation upon manipulation. You are in, they are out, they are in, you are out. Be good. Be better. What is wrong with you? God hates sin. You are not good enough. Try harder or you might go to hell.

The kingdom message on the other hand, makes people happy. The message of the kingdom falls upon the ears of humans with a joy that is truly splendid. "God loves you! Your sin is forgiven. Jesus has made the way. Live in gloom no more! Share the joy. Release your worries, cast your cares upon him. Live each moment in God's love."

This is the message of the kingdom. Which message are you listening to? It may have a bearing on how you are experiencing this life that God has given us.

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

the homecoming

It is the day of homecoming. The entire household awaits her arrival. You see, when you are gone every week, but also dearly loved, everyone waits for your return.

Although they may have survived the week, stoically going about the business of life, let there be no mistake - It is with great anticipation that the family awaits for the sound of the garage door rising. Of course the humans know, but the dog as well, he always knows when it is Friday and mom is coming home. He is the first to greet her with 5 minutes of yipping and yapping and tail wagging joy. When his turn is over, the humans get their turn. A hug, a smile, and a settling in for a few days until she hits the road again on Monday.

Everyone should be so loved in their home that they are received with such joy every time they walk in the door. The world would be a better place if we appreciated each other a little more. The next time your family member or friend comes over, put everything else aside. Get up, greet them, welcome them, hug them. They are worth the celebration.

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

magic or mysterious

Is your God magic or mysterious. Some people want a magic God. I say the prayers, and God fixes it. I learn the right things, and then I know the right things and have it all figured out. I just do the secret things, and then I am in the know, in the right, in the in. I have God in a box and it is all to my liking. But the problem with this is that God is not magic, nor can he be put in a box. God is mysterious. Bigger than us. Higher than us. Beyond our understanding, beyond our doctrine. Beyond our desires, beyond our preference. God loves us, and wants to be loved back. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and God is the creator of the universe. Do not expect to figure it all out. Stand in awe. God is God, with, or without our permission. Stand in awe of the mystery. It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

grieving

When you are grieving, you should not make any big decisions. So they say. Something happened. You are hurting. The world does not look the same. The world may never be the same for you. It may never go back to the way it was. Don't buy a house, sell a house, buy a car, or join the army. Don't give away your possessions, quit your friends, or join a convent. Give yourself some time to heal. Life is going to be different, from one time, one thing, to the next. Relax, rest, heal. God is with you. It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Giving something up for lent

A Lenten Reflection from http://www.appleseeds.org/lent-reflect_

1.htm On givning something up for lent-

Give up complaining——focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism——become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments——think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry——trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement——be full of hope.
Give up bitterness——turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred——return good for evil.
Give up negativism——be positive.
Give up anger——be more patient.
Give up pettiness——become mature.
Give up gloom——enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy——pray for trust.
Give up gossiping——control your tongue.
Give up sin——turn to virtue.
Give up giving up——hang in there!

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

conoco clarification

Yes readers, that was a typo. I only put $12 in her car not $112. :)

Conoco

I was getting gas on Sunday. I had just put the hose in the tank and a woman came around the pump from the other side. "Sir, I am sorry to bother you, but I am on empty and I need gas to get home. Can you give me $3?" We visited a bit. I put $112 in her car. Although it was an odd thing, and I have some thoughts about the incident, I hope if my wife ever needs help at the gas station, some old guy will buy her some gas. It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

history

I have been reading some history lately. Funny thing I have noticed. When I read contemporary writers, those who are writing about today's issues or today's church, I want to talk. I want to tell. I want to explain what my thoughts are about what they are saying. I want to interface with the ideas of today. I want to be a part of the conversation, or more likely, the argument.

When I read history, something else happens. I stop talking. When I read history, I enter a world that I cannot control or effect. It is over. In history, I meet real people who struggled and dealt with everything that I am dealing with now. They have the same issues and the same problems.

When I read history, the problems and challenges of today sort of get swallowed up in the big picture of life. Things happen. Good and bad. Some are on one side, some are on the other. You can get all worked up about it, or you can relax and simply enjoy life. We don't do enough of enjoying life. How about I talk less and celebrate more? How about I get worked up a lot less and simply learn to savor life. We only come by this way once, and it goes by pretty fast. Let's live, laugh and love.

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

religious wars

I have been reading some history lately. We have been killing each other for centuries. Not just Christians against Muslims or Christians against barbarians, or Christians against Native Americans, we have even witnessed Christians against Christians. Catholics killing Orthodox. Orthodox killing Catholic. Catholic killing Protestants. Protestants Killing Catholics. German Lutherans killing English Methodists. English Methodists killing German Lutherans. Some Baptists don't like Catholics, some Catholics don't like Baptists. Some Methodists don't like each other. This preacher does not like that preacher. Who cares? Maybe someday we will realize that the message of Jesus is a message of love. On that day, all wars shall cease. It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

why is the church here?

As I listen to all of the banter lately in the church world, I have decided to weigh in.

First of all, I do believe in heaven and in hell. I believe that they are beyond our description, except that in heaven God is loved and worshiped, and in hell God is hated and selfishness abounds.

But here is the question. Why is the church here? Is the church here to judge others? Is the church here to tell people that they are going to hell? That God hates them? Do we really believe that? That sounds a lot like Fred Phelps to me.

I believe that the church is here to tell people about Jesus and his love. To tell the old old story. To explain to every person that we are all precious in God's sight.

As long as we remember that, and do that, it will never occur to us to tell someone that they are going to hell, because we will all be doing what we are supposed to be doing- showering the world with God's love,

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

right and wrong

Right and Wrong. I am thinking of this a little differently. Have you ever been right about something but handled it in a way that you were wrong? Being right is not the only consideration. Sometimes we can be so demeaning, hurtful, or arrogant about something that the issue totally changes.

I have run into people on both sides of some social issue that are so insistent that they are right. In their rightness they have crushed others. And so then they have become wrong.

There is something in the good book about "if I have all knowledge, but have not love." We should take it to heart. How we speak to one another is as important if not more important than your opinion on some issue. Love covers all. if love isn't there, then we may be technically right, but we are also a clanging cymbal.

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

Kiva

Have you heard of Kiva?

Kiva.org

Kiva is a ministry that connects people through lending teams to alleviate poverty by providing loans to entrepreneurs to help better their lives. It works in 5 different continents to provide loans to people without access to banks. 100% of the money goes directly to funding loans. Kiva is funded through donations, grants, corporate sponsors and foundations. I give $25 you give $25 and pretty soon the Kiva team from Woods Chapel has several hundred dollars to loan, but we are only in for a small amount each. Current repayment rate is 98.60%

Kiva partners with micro-institutions (Field Partners) who know the local area and do all of the legwork to find entrepreneurs to loan money. Field Partners review the loan requests and select who they will recommend to receive a loan. Once the Lending Team reviews the list and decides who will receive the funding, Kiva distributes funds to Field Partners who distributes the funds to the entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs pay the Field Partners principle + interest. Money goes back to Kiva to credit the lender. Lender has the choice of what to do with the money once it is paid back. They can either withdraw the money or recycle the money into another loan.

We can easily set up a “Lending Team”, people within the congregation willing to contribute to a Kiva fund. A list of pre-screened entrepreneurs is provided on their website and the WCC Lending Team would decide who they were going to lend the money. Once the person to receive the loan has been chosen the Lending Team will make a withdrawal using PayPal - and sent to Kiva – then the Field Partners – and finally to the entrepreneur. The Lending Team would meet monthly (or as often as the team decides) to track the progress of their loan(s). When the loan is repaid the Lending Team can recycle the money to a new entrepreneur.

One of the churches set up a world map and put red dots on each of the locations that their team had sent money. Their goal was 100 loans but now have over 200 loans.

Through this method the goal is to help the people help themselves to get out of poverty. Not to just give them the money, but to give them the start that they need to help themselves.

I would love to be a part of a micro-lending team at WCC. Is anyone else interested?

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

I'm not being fed

"I am sorry but I am not being fed. I am just not getting what I want to get from church anymore. I think I am going to do some church shopping and see if I like what some other places have to offer."

Pastors are flabbergasted when they hear this. We live in such a consumer society that some folks treat church like a restaurant. I'll go here for a while, but if I feel like something different, well I will just go there and try the lunch special.

I wonder what the early Christian leaders would have said if one of their members would have said, "hey, I'm not being fed?" First of all, there was no other place to go, no other church. No other cafeteria to try out. The church in your town was all you had. They were your family. They were the expression of Christ in your community. They weren't perfect, but they were following as best they could.

I think an early church pastor would have responded to "I'm not being fed" with, "you know, it is not about you. Keep your eyes on Jesus and spend your days loving people. That is what the church is about and that is what we are supposed to do. There is nothing else."

The moral of the story is this- when we are focused on God, and living the life that He asks us to live, we are filled. When we decide to become consumers instead of contributors to God's life in this world, then, well, then the preacher better have some really good stuff for us on Sunday.

Thank you to every one of you that knows that we are a family. We have some warts, but this is a great place to follow Jesus.

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

the trees

The trees are starting to leaf out at my house. This is one of God's annual reminders that He is in control. I may make my plans, I may have my ideas, but God is still God and life goes on whether it suits me or not.

I may want to change the direction of our country. I may not like the sermon series. I may want my faith to fit in a box that is just so. I want my kids to do such and such.

And the seasons come and go. The sun rises and sets. Winter ends and spring arrives. God is still doing his thing, with or without my permission. This is why the wise bow the knee to the Creator. They see in Him and in his world, a power that cannot be contained or controlled. I stand in awe of the God who set it all in place and keeps it all going.

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

song lyrics from Sunday

Someone asked for the words from the song that Wendy sang on Sunday. Here you go.

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
As long as we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

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

blue and green

If I teach you from birth that blue is green and green is blue, then you will most likely believe it for a long time. If I can get others around you to confirm it, then you will never have the chance to doubt it. If I do this for generations, pretty soon, the truth is forgotten. Green is perceived to be blue by an entire culture. People will fight and go to war to support their ideas that just a few generations ago were not true.

This is why reading history is important. This is why reading church history is important as well. I don't think that Jesus needed his followers to add things to the gospel. And the gospel is pretty simple. How much would we shed if we released ourselves from all of the additions and just went back to the simple message, and allowed it to be enough?

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

taking a stand

I have been thinking about something recently. For years I have commented on, and witnessed some things in the general church [across almost all denominations] that I have been opposed to. I guess I have felt that I could speak against such things from time to time, but that ultimately we would always have to live in their shadow. I felt a sense that there was nothing that I could do about such things. I figured that I had to learn to co-exist peacefully with those things which I found so distasteful.

Today, after some thought and prayer, I have now come to a different conclusion. There are some things that are taught by some in the general church that I can no longer tolerate. I have decided to speak up and to speak out and to call it what it is- false teaching. It is time for the church to shrug off the doctrines and practices of man and return to the ways of the spirit.

With these thoughts in mind, I hereby now and forever reject and stand to oppose the following:

1. The use of guilt by pastors or Christians to scare people to faith or manipulate believers.

2. The treatment of the Holy Scriptures in a way that has caused too many believers to worship the scriptures instead of the Loving God that they point to.

3. The practice of taking up one Scripture while ignoring others, which has led to many doctrines which are not balanced.

4. The judging and condemning of others. It must stop. This practice shares nothing with the heart of God.

5. The approach to the gospel and a relationship with God that implies that the Christian faith is in any way shape or form a means to financial gain.

6. The attitude of some that forces God into a box from which he can be controlled or reduced to a human level. We have too easily forgotten that all people fall to their knees and worship before the mystery of God.

7. The focus on the end of time to the point that we have forgotten our responsibility to live and love today, now, here on this earth as the hands and feet of our Lord.

Instead of the above, I offer the following:

1. The compelling love of God that is offered freely to all people.

2. The inspired Word of God that points us beyond the pages of the written word to the living God that saves us.

3. An invitation to those that would teach to review the totality of Scripture, the tone of Scripture and the sweeping evidence of the entirety of Scripture when considering their teachings.

4. Instead of judgement, Open hearts and open minds, exactly what Jesus gave to everyone that he met. A joyful welcome and acceptance.

5. We need to repent from any approach to the Christian faith that tries to make it about me. Christians are subservient to God, not in control of God. The joy of the Christian life comes in serving and loving him, from seeking his will rather than trying to make him do my will. I invite Christ- followers to be those who seek after the life and ways of Christ. Herein is the joy of Christian living.

6. I invite all people to come into relationship with the God of creation who is above all and in all and through all things. God is beyond us. His ways are higher, his thoughts are higher. We simply need to find a place to kneel and worship before him.

7. There are several competing pictures of the end of time in Scripture. One view or passage cannot be lifted up over another. Jesus said that we do not know the hour or the day. We are invited as Christians to live a life filled with love that is focused on today. As long as we are doing this, we will certainly be ready for Christ's return.

Just a few things that have been on my mind. If you want to have a cup of coffee to talk about any of these things, I welcome the discussion.

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

a quote

Sometimes things I read just stick with me.

"Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight." Bruce Cockburn

With this in mind I now ask myself the question "What is it that I need to fight for?" Sometimes we we know the fight. Other times we are blind to what needs attention. It is time well spent to sit back, take inventory and remember what is worth having...keeping...pursuing.

Phillipians 4:13
13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

a walk

Yesterday I did something I have wanted to do for 20 years. Not far from where my wife and I live is her family's farm. Years ago her grandfather stumbled upon some rock outcroppings that had symbols etched into them. He took photos and sent them to a person who was an expert in the field of ancient writings. A site visit confirmed that the writings were Norse (Viking). I had heard the stories and seen the pictures, but I had never made the trek to see "it" for myself. So yesterday my wife and son and I took a hike. My wife had been there numerous times as a child but finding her way again was a challenge. A cell phone call to her father (who still resides on the property) enabled us to find our way through the woods, over a couple creeks, up and down some hills, down an abandoned railway bed, left, right, right, left, and we were there......

I don't know for sure when these rocks were first visited, maybe as early as 900 AD, but to think of the journey these Viking men made is amazing to me. Yes they were explorers, but it had to have come with a sacrifice. They probably left behind friends and loved ones for this greater good. They probably had friends and people they cared for with them on the journey, too. They were seeking knowledge and although they were probably well suited for the job my guess is they were tested along the way. How the journey ended and where it ended is unknown, but I am sure it was awesome.

Peace.
Lion's Den Man

helping Japan

I have listened to several TV and radio spokespersons over the last few days. Several of them are saying that we should not send money to Japan. They are saying this because so much of the money that was sent to Haiti is evidently unaccounted for.

Well, no one wants to give to something that appears to be misappropriated. No one wants to give to something when there are questions about the disbursement or accountability of funds.

So, I want to tell you about your church. When you give to your church, or to any fund that is managed by the Woods Chapel United Methodist Church, you can rest assured that everything is happening as you have been told. We have wonderful staff, and wonderful staff in the administrative department. If there is anytime that you have questions, our books, your books are open books. Full disclosure. They are your books, afterall.

If we are raising money for a youth mission trip, the youth will get all of it. If we are asking for funds for water.org, water.org will get all of it. If we raise money for Japan, it will all get there. If you ever want to know anything about the gifts that you give to your church, your questions will be answered completely.

If you want to give to Japan or any other need in the world, your church is the place to do it.

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

help wanted

We have had several requests at church for some mechanism to allow people to advertise that they need a single bed or they have a piano for sale. Maybe they need help to build a handicap ramp. Maybe they want to offer their services to help someone else work on their car. Roommate wanted. Garage for rent. Free computer to a good home. Free cat. Ha ha. I have a couple you can have.

Sort of a Woods Chapel Church want ads. We need to find someone who would be willing to receive the emails with the info and compile them weekly into a want ads sheet that interested members could pick up. If you would be interested in helping with something like this, please send me an email at jeffb@woodschapelchurch.org

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

washers

My daughter has been bothering me about building a washers set. If you are not familiar with washers, it is a game played much like horseshoes. You build these 16"x16" boxes and throw big washers into them.

Last night when I got home I was threatened. Make the boxes or else. So, we went to Lowes and bought the materials. $20 exactly. I had to pay. [go figure] Whose washer set is this? Who wants them so bad?

We got home and started work. I was not even allowed time to eat until they were finished. Saw, saw saw. put in the screws. Cut the carpet. Bolt in the pipe. There its done. I am going in the house.

No. Dad, you cannot go in. We have to play. So, in the almost dark of last night, a 53 year old man squared off with a 23 year old for a game of washers. There was much pre game banter, and a good amount of cynical dogging. Old man jokes, young pup jokes.

The game began, the game waned, the game ended. Sorry to say, I lost to the energy of youth 11-9. don't tell her that I let her win or she will wake me up from a nap and make me play again.

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

meltdown

Japan is working to fight off two or more meltdowns at their nuclear facilities. I have always been a supporter of safe nuclear energy, but this has to make a person wonder. What does it mean? What will happen if the meltdowns cannot be stopped? How many square miles will be uninhabitable? What is the long term effect on the atmosphere? the fish?

And I wonder about just how many people this world can really support. And to what level of lifestyle can this world support? How many more tragedies can we afford to fix before entire people groups are left to live in tents for the rest of their lives?

We have increased our numbers so much, and our lifestyles are so comfortable, we forget that just 100 years ago, most humans still made their living off of the land.

And God is in the heavens. And he looks down at the plans of men and women. And He is greater than it all. We humans fall away in the presence of God. We have no answers, we have nothing figured out, except that we all need to put our trust in God and realize that everything waits upon him for breath, for life, for sustenance. And we need one another - lets not forget that.

God we look to you this day, and so because we can see you, it is a beautiful day in your world.

Lent = choosing Christ

Lent is a time to think about the sufferings of Christ. It is a time to consider what Jesus did for you, and ask yourself if you want to follow in his way. Lent asks us to step beyond superficial Christianity. It asks us to move beyond the shallowness that can so easily accompany our lives and invites us to wade into the mystery of God at work in the world.

What will we give up for Lent? the question is often asked. Actually the thing that we should give up for lent is our will. Our arrogance. Our pride. Not simply diet coke.

Christians can follow Jesus on the journey to the cross and learn to trust the Father more fully as we leave ourselves behind. Obviously, lent is not for the feint of heart.

What will you give up for lent? This but not that? That but not this? Shouldn't everything be on the table for God?

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

Japan quake

We have such nice lives. Electricity, gasoline, and all of the comforts that they bring. Then there is a massive earthquake. No electricity, cars washed away, your country is a mess. Add to that, a massive radiation leak. Hopefully the leak can be contained and with some hard work, all of that can be rebuilt, just like in New Orleans. But imagine more and more of these types of events. Pretty soon, our economies can no longer restore the damaged areas.

Over the next few years we will work very hard to help Japan recover, and we should. Please pray for those in the affected areas. Please pray for those who are hurting and suffering. Please contribute to relief funds when you have the opportunity. Let's not allow ourselves to feel differently about this because it is far away, and not in our country.

Tonight is daylight savings time. Move your clock one hour forward. See you tomorrow in worship.

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

who gets to heaven?

Romans 1:20 is a verse that answers many questions for me regarding who does, and who does not get into heaven. Actually it does not answer questions as much as it opens the door for God's grace to go to all people, and it makes it clear that God is doing things that we can neither control nor know about. Here it is:

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20

This verse is referring to what theologians call "general revelation." Through nature, God has revealed himself. He has done it so strongly, that people are accountable. All living people are accountable to God because he has confronted them through what has been made. The ocean, the beach, the bird in flight, the miracle of the human body, and the heavens declare the glory of God.

This tells me that I don't have to worry about the tribe in Africa that might go to hell because they have not heard of Jesus. Somehow, God will hold everyone accountable. He has shown himself to each of us, and each of us must respond to Him.

This doesn't answer any of the questions that come up after this, about exactly how God will do this. It doesn't give me a nice pat answer or a three step approach to who is saved. What it does do is put the question of who is saved back into the hands of God, and that is precisely where it belongs. He alone determines who enters the pearly gates.

Pray for those who do not know Jesus. Pray for those who say they do not believe in God. Enjoy and celebrate the beauty and glory of God through the things that he has made.

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

Amazing!

Yesterday, an amazing thing happened to me. A friend from college that I have not seen for 30 years, stopped by the church. We visited for 15 minutes. It was awesome!

He is a pastor now in Lees Summit and we are going to have lunch and catch up. Wow - I go back to 1976-79 when we lived together across the hall in college. We ate together, went to class, played softball and baseball. We went to our floor's boxing matches and pulled pranks on each other. What great memories, and they are all coming back.

Next week we are going to get together! Rejoice with me! it is so totally exciting!

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

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday. The palms from last year's palm Sunday are burned. Joy is over. Lent begins. Repentance is on the days docket. The ashes from last years palms are placed on our foreheads in the shape of a cross.

Come for the soup supper in the fellowship hall from 6-8pm. Then stop by the sanctuary to pray. Come forward when you are ready for the imposition of ashes. Then continue on to the front to receive holy communion.

This is a very special night. Many feel it is one of the most significant worship experiences of the year.

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

basketball tournament

This week is the big 12 tournament. Many great things have happened around our house during tournament time.

In 1991, Scott was born the Sunday night of the final game. We barely got to the hospital in time because my wife would not leave the TV until the game was over.

Over the years we have enjoyed watching the games and rooting for our teams. Our house has both MU Tiger fans and KU Jayhawk fans. And then they have me. Mr. Neutral. Mr. Lets all get along. It's a fun time.

Last night, as the excitement for the tournament begins to heat up, I am delivered a surprise challenge to the court. My oldest has decided that it is time for the old man to take back to the court. I am pooped, but I recognize the importance of the invitation and rise to the challenge.

We began with around the world. I was surprised at how good she was and how bad I have become. Shoulder surgery, knee surgery, cataract surgery and about 30 years has taken it's toll on my once NCAA stature abilities on the court. It had to be the world's longest game of around the world, but I finally pulled it out. With that momentum under my belt, it was on to a game of pig.

My short little granny shots made quick work of her. I finisher her off with the back to the basket over the head shot. PIG. Not having had enough, she wanted to stretch it out to piglet, which we did, with the same result.

Time spent with your children is so valuable, even if you need to take a nap when the game is over.

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

angry layers

Have you ever had someone that was mad at you and you weren't sure why? It seemed that their emotion toward you was over the top? Then you found out that they were in some sort of trauma at home. Ahh, it makes sense. When folks overreact to something, it is often a sign that they are struggling with personal problems and do not have peace in their heart.

I find myself doing this sometimes. I have a problem at home or at work, and so every little thing annoys me. I catch myself and i ask, why does this bother me so, then i realize that the other junk is flowing out of me and into another unrelated situation.

It really isn't fair for me to dump on others for no reason, especially when the real issue is something else. So i try to keep a cool head when I am upset. I try to compartmentalize the problem, and get about the day, treating others as they should be.

If someone around you today is angry and you can't figure it out, maybe it isn't about you at all. Just pray for them. And if the person with the attitude is you, then catch yourself and find the joy. Don't take it out on others.

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

take off your shoes

We like to get excited about things. We think we are right. We want to tell others how it is. We walk into a moment and think we are in charge.

We forgot to notice God's messenger, standing over there who says to us, "take off your shoes, for you are standing on Holy Ground."

This is our father's world after all, and so much of it, that we think we are in charge of, is really a place for us to be submitted to him. How does a situation change when we realize that God is present here, in this moment, in this place? Do we slow down? Do we bow the head? Do we take off our shoes?

There is a lot more holy ground in this world than we think. Next time we think that we have it all figured out, let's remember that God speaks, and people hush and listen.

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

rest

Rest. What a good word. REST. We all need it. We have worries. We have sorrows, hurts, wounds, and concerns. We carry them around. We fuss over them. We throw them at each other.

All this, when right next to us is Jesus. Jesus loves us. He cares for us. He embraces us. He says, "come unto me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." [Mt. 11:28]

If you are hurting, reach out to him. Call upon his name. There is no better friend.

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

March 4th

Today is March 4th. It is the day of the annual big parade. It is the day when all of the bands assemble downtown and march forth.

hmmmm. ok. March forth. March 4th.

It's a joke.

Actually, it is the oldest joke that I know. My grandmother, Louise Heising, passed it down to my mother, Mary Heising Brinkman. Consequently, I have been telling it, every March 4th for years.

There is something good about tradition. Funny or not so funny. Roots. Roots are good. My grandmother who died in 1991 at the age of 96, had a sense of humor.

Don't miss the parade today. Go downtown and watch the bands. They are gonna march forth.

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

operation smile

Operation Smile is a mission program that helps children that have cleft palate. Bill and Pam Carpenter, members of our church, are wonderful people who have been working with this program in Ascension, Paraguay.

Operation Smile has volunteer doctors and uses borrowed operating rooms. This keeps the cost to change a child's world very reasonable, yet still out of reach for families that live in the third world.

What a gift to look in the mirror after surgery and for the first time, see a normal face. Something that most of us take for granted.

You can learn more about operation smile at:

http://www.woodschapelchurch.org/pageviewer2.cfm?page_id=119

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

disapointed

Have you ever been disappointed in yourself? If you answer no to that question, then I question if you are being honest with yourself. Everyone is disappointed with themselves at one time or another.

For example, maybe I said something that I want to take back. I dwelled on a thought that I should not have. I did something that I knew was wrong. I made excuses for something when I knew better. I didn't care when I should have.

I said I, in the last few sentences, but any of these situations could be, might be, you.

Here is the good news. When we are sad on the inside, God stands by our side. He rushes to the broken, to the contrite, to the hurting. When you are crying on the inside, you do not stand alone.

So, if you are out there today and your heart is breaking, and it is a self inflicted wound, let me say that Jesus died for those sins too. It is not the end. You are not done. The sun will come up tomorrow and you will get to see it. Those who love you will forgive your sins. As do I. And I thank you for forgiving mine.

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

children

I read it the other day: Children are a mirror. They learn what they see.

What does that mean? What you pour into them, they will reproduce. A dose of love = a heart of love. A dose of dysfunction = well, most of us know what that is like.

An apple still does not fall from the tree.

It's not too late. What am I pouring into the people around me? What are you pouring in?

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

the book

The book that I mentioned in yesterday's post is titled "Walking on Water" by Anthony Demello. Several have asked about it. It is available in the church bookstore.

Demello was a Catholic priest who died in 1986 at the age of 56. He was a wonderful story teller and approached the Christian faith in a way that healed alot of people.

When I first read this book, I realized that there were several things that he was talking about that i wanted to learn. I wanted his writing to change my life paradigm. For example, Demello is the one that I quote, "If I want something from you, it's not love." And "the lover creates the love."

I would love to dialogue with any of you who may pick this book up. It has helped people in their marriage as well as in daily life.

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

she is not suffering

Ahh. What good news.

I was explaining to one of my daughters how my sisters and I all grew up feeling like we were never good enough. To this day, we all three have voices in the back of our heads that tell us that we stink as a person and we just don't measure up.

I was telling her that I have been reading a book that was helping me with this problem. I offered the book to her. She took the book, but commented that she does not have such voices in her head!

Awesome! A child that was raised and knows that they are loved! A child that knows their value! A 20 something year old child that will not be tortured for life, thinking that they can't do anything right!

We did something right! That is my joy for today. At least one child whose heart and mind is filled with love and hope instead of fear and worry.

Now, if you are in need of this book, just let me know. it has helped countless others.

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

kindness

Love is kind. Kindness is one of the attributes of God. If we hope to be Christ-like, then we want to work on kindness.

It is such a simple thing. How are my words? Do I have a kind touch? Do I look kindly upon others? When I have to do something that I don't want to do, or talk about something that is painful, do I do this in a kind way? If I must express my displeasure with something [and am I sure that I need to do this?] is it done in a kind way.

Love is kind. It feels good to be kind.

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

my family

Yesterday I found out something interesting. I have been reading through the memoirs of my grandmother's sister. I knew that they lived in a mansion on Armour Road in Kansas City- near 35th and main. Yesterday I read something interesting about their life.

In 1910, my great grandfather was worth 2.5 million dollars. How much is that today? The family had six cars and eight servants. They spent the summers at a resort in Maine. They lived in a hotel the entire summer and spend the days out on their yacht. My great-grandfather actually spent all of the money. All of it.

Now, I do not begrudge the fact that none of this came down to us. I am fine with my life. However, it is a lesson to all of us, that whatever you have, manage it well. Be a good steward. Go to FPU. At the end of the day, each of us will give account for what we have done with the blessings God has given us.

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

maybe we like to be unhappy

Sometimes I think we like pain. We like to be unhappy. Why else would continue with some of our behaviors? It's almost like we would prefer to complain about something than to really make the effort to work on it.

Think of how your day might go better if we simply stopped thinking about everything that was wrong or bad. Don't think about a bad boss, a weak 401k, or a car that is rusting. Don't think about that person that you are worried over. Can your worry fix things? Put them in God's hands and think about something good.

You are alive! You can see! You have a computer! You can read! Spring is almost here! Ahh, the world already looks better. The daffodils are coming up! You can breathe! You are loved by many!

When we start thinking about the good stuff, our outlook naturally changes. So, let's just think less about the stuff that we can't fix and can't do anything about anyway. Let's think about the good instead and train ourselves to get into that habit.

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

closing the mouth

My Dad used to say it: "Son, you don't know when to close your mouth. Sometimes the best thing to do is just to shut up." [sorry for using the shut up words, I don't like them, but that's what was said.] Anyway, I did not understand why he would say this until years later.

Back then, I wanted to tell what I knew. I wanted to say something important. I thought i was right, and maybe I was, but me speaking at that time, just didn't help anything. Sometimes when we open our mouths, even when we are right, we only make things worse. Sometimes the right thing to do is to just sit it out and let someone figure it out.

I took three years of french in high school. One of the few phrases that I remember from my teacher, Miss Robinson, is "ferme la bouche" [close the mouth.] Sometimes, it is good advice, and I probably need to remember it more often. How about you?

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

dodgeball - the aftermath

Well, it was quite an afternoon at the church gym yesterday. I was so very pleasantly surprised at how many people were there and how many teams. There were very nice teams of young ladies, teams of old people like me, and some really scary teams of big teenage boys.

After watching the first few games, I begged the promoters to move our team to the Jr division. Now if you are feeling bad about old guys playing the Jr High kids, don't. They beat us like a drum.

Today, I am:
1. proud of our kids
2. proud of Brian and how he managed it all.
3. embarrassed for the next time I see the youngsters that beat us.
4. sore as can be.

It was a great afternoon and who knows where it will lead. It was very enjoyable to get together with so many wonderful folks from our church.

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

dodgeball

Today I am playing in a dodge ball tournament at church. The point of the tournament is to raise money and awareness for world vision, a program that feeds the hungry around the world. However, there are many bi products of this tournament besides raising money to feed the poor.
1. i am very proud of Michael Barker, who organized it
2. the face of the youth has stepped into leadership at woods chapel
3. old guys get to dig the cleats out
4. there will be lots of funny outfits to see
5. there has been alot of trash talk
6. my son, who has played on several semi-pro dodge ball teams is playing
7. there is an electricity of fun surrounding the event.

if you have nothing to do today at 1pm, stop by the gym at church. I think there will be stories to come from this for years to come.

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

sisters

I have two sisters. One lives in Kansas City, the other lives in San Jose, California. Amy from California is here for a visit. So, the three of us are together for a few days. It doesn't happen very often.

When we were kids we did not know each other. What I did know of my one sister was a giant fight of sibling rivalry most of our growing up years. Then suddenly you are out of the house and gone- and on with your life. Then your parents die and you start to realize that the only family of origin you have left are your brothers and sisters.

When we got to this point, we started working harder on the three of us. Today, we are friends and it is good. It is good to care for one another. Never take your family for granted.

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

stress mgmt

Someone asked about dealing with stress. How does Jeff deal with stress? What are some tools that might help us?

First, lets just agree that we are all going to have stress. It is not a sin and a person should not feel guilty about it. Stress reminds us that we are alive. It reminds us that we have some opportunities before us. Stress reminds us that "it isn't about me."

When I feel stress I do many different things. I go for a walk. I find a quiet place and holler. I engage in behavior that I find soothing. Oddly enough, for me, something that I find soothing is painting. Not like painting a picture, more like painting a room or painting the house. But for you it could be something else- what is your hobby? Playing the guitar? Be sure when you feel stress to do so. Something else that I do to relieve stress is work in the yard.

I also pray. I pray for the situation. I find a quiet place to sit in God's presence. I also pray for myself, that I can find a better place in my brain. If you hear what I am saying, sometimes, many times, for me, the stress comes to an end when I realize that I have the wrong perspective about the situation. When I can learn to see others as God does, often, my stress with them goes away and my heart is returned to a state of love.

Ultimately, the great philosophers tell us that we need to release ourselves from the desire to control everything. That is why Jesus told his followers not to worry. When I finally get it thru my head that I cannot control the financial stress in my home or the actions of a child or the behavior of a person, I start to relax. You know, it just is what it is. I can't fix it, and me worrying about it isnt going to change anything. Sometimes you just have to make friends with the pain. You have a bad boss. You made a mistake. You aren't treated fairly. Neither was Jesus. Lets move on.

Having said that, sometimes I resolve stress by solving the problem. By working harder, by visiting with the person that is angry. By talking something thru. By reading something. Sometimes, given a few days, the stress wears off. Sleep takes it away.

When none of that works, I cry, yell and pray.

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

mercy

The sermon Sunday is on the beatitude, blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. I am so looking forward to this discussion.

Do you need mercy? Do we appreciate it? Do we offer it to others? What happens to our life when we are merciful? What happens when we are not? Who can you offer mercy to today?

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

healing

Yesterday, a healing took place. Two friends who had been involved in a painful situation, met and resolved their pain. Months of sorrow was replaced with joy. Nights of worry was overcome by the commitment to love.

I believe that this can happen over and over and over. If we are just brave enough to sit down with those who we have hurt or been hurt by. It was a long long lonely winter of heartache, but yesterday, everything was made right.

Two normal people, hoping for better, find a way to get past their pride and the result is love. Does it get any better than that?

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

yesterday

Yesterday I woke up. Lying in bed, before my feet even hit the floor, the first thought that came to my mind was: "thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of this day."

Now if that sounds like bragging, say it ain't so. Yesterday just makes up for the other 500 days that I woke up with other things on my mind. It makes up for the days when I woke up and didn't think a thought of God until later.

I hope there are more yesterdays. First thought = thank you Lord.

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

local hawk

Have you seen the local hawks. They seem to be everywhere. On top of the poles, hanging out in the trees, from 40 highway to the church, the hawks are out. They are certainly listening for the birds to sing or the mice to chatter, and then it is lunch time. For some reason, I am fascinated by these big strong birds. Don't wreck your car, but keep an eye out for the hawks. They are cool.

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

PS- there is a feature on the side of the blog now so that you can sign up to receive an email when there is a post.

good news

I do have good news. And I am sure that you do as well, if you just look hard enough. My son starts a new job today. I think I am finally done painting the basement. The snow is melting. All the cars got washed, and they look like cars again. Everyone at my house is relatively happy.

Good news. The gospel is good news. It should never feel like bad news or guilt or hate speech. The only people that Jesus spoke like that to, were the very people that were judging everyone else. When your brain and heart thinks of God, you should have a peaceful, welcoming, embracing thought, because God loves you. The gospel is always good news.

That beats clean cars, new jobs and snow melting.

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

The more i know

The more that I know, the more I realize that I don't know as much as I thought I did. The more I read about how other's brains work, the more I realize that I am an infant in brain power. I read what others write and I am so touched and impressed. I watch the skills of others and I frequently find myself standing in awe.

The older I get, the quieter I want to be. I just feel like I want to watch what goes on, and talk a little less. I am not as smart as I thought I was.

I am ok with this. I am at peace with this. All of that just makes me want to call out to God and depend on him, rest in him. That I am pretty sure is a good thing.

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

email and a dream

Last night I had a dream. In my dream I was talking to a young person. Age say, 28. Not sure who it was. Random, representative young person from our church. They were expressing to me, that I was reading alot, and learning alot, but not changing very much.

I thought about this in my dream and I could feel the pain in the night. Could that be possible, that we read and think and talk about being more faithful, but really not that much changes? God may it not be so.

If we believe in grace, may we be more and more filled with grace. If we believe in living missionally, may we do more than read about it, may we be moved to become more and more missional.

[new topic]
I have learned of a feature to this blog where you can be informed of postings. What happens is, if you sign up, you receive a notice by email that there is a posting. If you open the email, the post is right there on your computer. You don't even have to go onto the blog site. If I slow down my posting to this site, this might become a helpful feature, letting you know when there was something new. So if you want this feature, please email your email address to jeffb@woodschapelchurch.org

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

things I learned yesterday

Things that I learned yesterday-

if you allow the tank of a 2000 Ford pick up to get completely empty, it will cost $64 to fill it back up.

if you leave a tube of carmex in your vehicle overnight in the winter, it will freeze as hard as a rock.

I still have a rolodex in my desk drawer.

you never know what is going on in someone else's house.

there are a few people in this world, that are far more generous than I had imagined.

there are people near CVV that I can help, simply by taking food to them. Seriously poor folks that need a can of ravioli. And I am wondering about everything about my life.

It's beautiful for me, but is it beautiful for everyone? And if it is not good news for everyone, is it really good news?

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

the Hole in our Gospel

Several from our church have been reading the book, "The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns. The book is available in the bookstore at church.

It received it's best comment the other day when a member told me "I want to throw this book in the trash. I wish I never read it."

Here is what they really mean by those words..... "the book the Hole in our Gospel has so touched me that I am reevaluating my life. It is connecting me to Jesus and his mission in ways that I have never been connected before. "

If you want to get a little closer to the heart of God, I recommend this book. I have a couple loaners in my office too, if you would like to read it, but not buy it.

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

what not to say

Several have asked that this information from a sermon a few weeks ago, be shared in the blog.

What you should never say to others who are grieving. This is the uncut, unedited version and I am very sorry for much of it.

from The New York Times, December 7, 1999.
To a 60-year-old recent widow: Don't worry. You're young and attractive; you'll find someone else. To a woman whose husband died of lung cancer: You have to meet this man. His wife also died of lung cancer. To a man whose 26-year-old daughter died of AIDS: If she hadn't been that way, God wouldn't have struck her dead with AIDS, and It was just a purification thing. To a woman who suffered a miscarriage: It is probably for the best. To a woman whose 25-year-old son was killed by a drunken driver: At least you have four other children. To a man whose elderly mother died: Oh, well, 79. To a young man whose 19-year-old brother died of cancer: I know how you must feel losing a brother. And to the boy's mother: I know it's not the same, but I really empathize because I lost my dog. To a woman whose husband committed suicide: Are you going to get a dog now?
-Jane E. Brody, Mourning, a time when words often fail,
The New York Times, December 7, 1999.

Here are some other things that I have personally heard – not helpful
1. It must have been their time
2. Everything happens for a reason
3. God doesn't put more on us than we can take [actually based on a scripture, but still not helpful.]
4. It was gods will

May we all remember to guard our tongues. May we remember that the gift of our presence, the gift of a hug, the gift of food. Is the best gift in times of pain.

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

dancing

This may be the strangest post ever............

Dancing. to dance. I have the dancing gene, I know I do. You can argue the point, and my family will argue the point, but I have the dancing gene. They say I dance like Elaine from Seinfeld or Bill Cosby, I say, fine, at least I dance.

To dance is to embrace the moment. Happy times, sad times, good song, bad song, happy song, sad song. Alone or together, we dance. We hear the music, we feel the times, and we dance. David danced before the Lord.

Life comes at us every day. We can fight it, or we can dance. Your choice. And my choice.

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

things that make life really good

Things that make life really good.

1. someone that loves you.
2. someone that you love.
3. Good jokes, told over and over. Random strange jokes told over and over.
4. Someone to talk about meaning and purpose with, that seems to "get you."
5. someone that forgives you.
6. someone that challenges you.
7. working hard to achieve something.
8. watching your kids grow up - usually
9. reading something that challenges you spiritually.

what would you add to the list?

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

roller derby

I saw it on TV when I was a kid. We were enthralled with it. James Caan was in some movie about it years ago.

Last night, following a 40 year hiatus, I witnessed roller derby again. Municipal auditorium, Kansas City, MO. Three hours of fun, excitement and roller derby gals.

Did you know that a member of our church plays on one of the teams? Did you know that last year, she was the league rookie of the year? If you see Lisa Alvarez, congratulate her, but be sure to keep a safe distance from her right elbow.

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

one step

It's a step. One step. One small step. But it is a step in the right direction. If you don't like where you are at, look at where you want to go, and take the first step. Immediately, you have new momentum, and you are one step closer to your goal.

A step has been taken at our house. Don't know exactly where it is going, but a step in the right direction is always a step in the right direction.

Take one today. You will be glad that you did.

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

don't quit

There is a time to quit, but most of us quit to soon. We quit jobs and wish we had them back. We quit friends and never quite get over it. We quit programs, sometimes we are relieved, but sometimes we quit too soon and miss the chance to do good.

Some people quit the church and move on to another church, which they later quit to move on to another. Some people quit God, well they think they do, but you can never quit God.

True spirituality is working thru the parts of a thing that drive you crazy. It's remaining a fan when your team loses. It is standing by your man [or woman.] It is going the second mile, turning the other cheek, seeing the good when it isn't that easy.

And so there is a joy, a savoring when you can look back and say, I made it work. I made it go. I figured it out, and it was all good.

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

Helping one another

Difficult times give us the opportunity to help one another. Whether it is the church opening up as a Red Cross shelter or you helping a neighbor get their car out of the snow bank, adversity invites us to come together.

One of the most meaningful things that we can do is to set aside our agenda of the moment and help someone else. Besides the clear benefit of helping them, it also provides us with some very positive results.

1. we get our minds off of ourselves, at least for a moment.
2. we feel good. if you allow yourself, it feels good to help another
3. you enjoy the sense that you are doing the right thing. For this we were created.
4. it can put a halt to depression.
5. it provides great stories and great memories.
6. when you invest in others, you make new friends.

I am not saying that we should help others so that we personally benefit, but there does appear to be some benefit. Let's see, where did I put my snow shovel?

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

storm dodger

I am the storm dodger. I don't mean to do it, but for two of the worst storms in Kansas City history, I end up out of town.

Was it 2001 that we had the big ice storm? I was in Russia. In fact, we saw the news of the ice storm on the Russian news. Watching a little black and white TV, listening to the words in Russian, you could hear the words, "Kansas City," and we recognized pictures of the Plaza.

Now it's 2011. For months we have had a three day trip planned to Tampa. I am packing up my projects and following my wife on one of her many trips. And I no sooner get on the plane, and a blizzard comes to town. Shuts down I-70. How about that? We will land on Thursday afternoon and I suppose that the streets will be cleared and most everything will be back to normal.

It's kind of funny that I am here, missing the storm. But at the same time, I am sorry that I am not there to help you.

I wish that everything in my life had such comfortable timing and pain free circumstances.

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

happy

Well, I have much to give thanks for today.

Sunday after church, I found out that my daughter, who is recently employed at St. Luke's East as a nurse, has passed her boards. Passing the boards is the last hurdle. If you pass them, you have made it.

I got up out of the booth at la fluente and danced like Elaine on Seinfeld or Bill Cosby on the Cosby show. I ran up and down the isle and hollered. The servers at La Fluente, tried to calm me down. I am sorry, but right now, I am inconsolable.

I don't know what is better, the fact that she is riding high for life, or the fact that in my old age, I now have someone to take care of me.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good. PS- storm of the century and I am in Tampa for three days! I am pitiful.

Eli

Sunday afternoon I took my dog for a walk or vice versa. Lately, it seems, we have been running into other people and their dogs more than usual. You would think the opposite would happen with this cold weather, but I think cabin fever is starting to take its toll on dogs as well as people. Anyway, about 45 minutes into our walk my dog met Eli. Eli is the same breed of dog as mine, but a few years younger. He brought two people with him that were a few years older than I. Well Eli and my dog became instant friends...with dogs it is either all or nothing. We were in the woods so they ran about wild for a few minutes until they were ready to respond to our calls. In the meantime I got to know a little about Eli's owners. That is one of the many perks about having a dog...it creates an opportunity to meet people that I would otherwise just walk by in the grocery store or at church etc.

I started to think about this "common ground" as I drove home from the park. I can't bring my dog to the grocery store but I can say hello and start up a conversation with the person who is standing next to me searching for a can of chili beans. My dog can't come to church, but I can start up a conversation after service with the person I shook hands with at the beginning of the service.....

Common ground. It is everywhere. I need to work on this one more.

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

unannounced

A little while back I wrote about how I believe we need to be deliberate in our friendships. Birthdays bring those types of opportunities. I received some funny cards, a few good phone calls and text messages, a really cool e-mail and I got to spend some quality time with my wife, kids and siblings. All of which I appreciate and am thankful for....

One person made an unannounced visit at my home. It was a 2 minute exchange at best. It was deliberate. That one will stick with me for a while. Everyday holds this opportunity. Don’t wait for the right time or an occasion. Take advantage of a thought…a gut instinct…reach out and be deliberate.


Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Lions Den Man!

What a blessing it is to have you as a friend. You are one of the most kind people that I know. You are smart and funny and I think it is cool in an odd kind of way that you like Stephen Wright. But so do I.

You are a great Christian friend and brother and you are a blessing to your family and all that know you.

Happy 39th.

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

january

Is it a sin to be glad that January is almost over? Not that I want to wish any day away, but I am tired of the snow. One more month of winter, then it will be March 1st. I always like March 1st. It marks the end of winter to me. Even if it snows in March, two days later it will be 60 degrees and the snow will melt.

So, hang in there for one more month, and be happy that today it is supposed to be 50!

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

whose life

Whose life is it anyway? Is it mine, or is it God's. If it is mine, then I don't like interruptions. I don't like to wait. I don't like to be annoyed. If it is my life, I may take a time out on occasion to do some nice thing for God. Then when it is over, I will return to my life. If it is my life, everything that I do for God is a bit of an intrusion, something else that I have to fit into my busy schedule. I do some things for God, but I can't wait until they are done so I can get back to my life.

If it is God's life, then things are a little different. I wake up in the morning and I am thankful that he gave me the breath of life. I count my blessings, because I know that they really are not mine. If it is God's life, then I am reaching out to others, all the time. Everyone, everywhere. Others are not an interruption, they are my opportunity to share God's love. Me handing a homeless person a dollar is not a story that sticks out in my day anymore, it is simply one act of many that occurred on a given day- that incident just fits right into everything else that was going on. If it is God's life, no kindness that I do is an interruption. The interruptions come when I allow my selfishness back in.

Whose life is it? Whose life are you living? Today? Right now? Those people around you- are they an interruption to your life, or an opportunity for you to be Jesus?

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

I can't give

I have talked to several folks lately who are missing church. I have not seen them there, and they have been missing being there. When we get to talking about why they have been out of church, there are a number of reasons given, but eventually we get down to the real reason: they are unable to make financial commitments at this time, or put anything in the offering, so they feel like they cannot attend.

Dear friends- everyone is welcome. It's not about who gives what or how much a person gives. The fellowship is important and this is never denied to you or anyone because you cannot give. Come. You are welcome. You are loved. These are difficult times and it is important that we put our arms around each other. Be filled with joy! You are loved. All is well. Just come and be a part. You matter to us.

This is what grace is all about. It cannot be purchased. It is free. Someone else paid the debt.

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

pleasantly surprised

What do people get when you open your mouth? Are they hurt? Wounded? Demeaned? Or are they blessed.

I have noticed of late that some folks are so used to being kicked that when you are nice to them, they are pleasantly surprised. Like a dog that has been beaten for so long, they aren't sure at first what to expect from you, but they sure do like the back scratching.

Can you, can I deliver a pleasant surprise today to someone, simply by the words that come from our mouth? They are waiting for a good word, and we are just the ones to bring them.

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

missions

Well, we have opened the discussion on missions in 2011. Discussions can be fun. Am I asking that we should do more? No not really. The discussion sounds annoying when we think that the direction is simply about doing more. How can we do more? We are already doing so much.

Rather than doing more, I would like to frame the discussion this way. I am asking for a paradigm change. It sounds like this - Missions isn't something that we do. It should be something that we are.

We don't live our lives and then take a break to be in mission. If you are a Christian, all of your life is a mission. It's not that we are being good when we act in mission. All of our life is to be a mission.

if we start thinking like that all of the time, what will the results be?

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

snow

Oh no. Snow again. On Saturday night. Doesn't God know that some people will miss church because of a little snow? I am sure that He does.

I have noticed a few things about snow.
1. it tends to make my cars break down.
2. it tends to make my children incapable of lifting a shovel.

Advice for winter weather.
1. keep warm clothes in the car, just in case.
2. keep lots of gas in your tank. not just because you don't want to run out, but if there is lots of room in your tank for air, the air will change temperature and the water in the air will condense and get in your fuel line and freeze.
3. Shovel the drive right away. Don't drive on it first.
4. when you get the slightest thawing, shovel off the stuff that has become loose.
5. drive much slower in the snow and keep lots of following distance.

Do you all have cabin fever? I do. I can't wait until spring.

We start the sermon series on the beatitudes today. I look forward to seeing you in God's house. Don't let the snow keep you away.

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

true love

True love goes out to everyone. It is not reserved for those who like us, or for those who we like. True love, like God's love, goes out to everyone. There is no discrimination based on behavior or worthiness.

When we are really being filled with love, we can turn the other cheek, we can go the second mile, and we can love our enemies.

the light of a lamp goes out to all. The scent of the rose goes out to all. The shade of a tree is available to all. So it is, when our hearts are filled with true love, we see the good even in the most challenging of folks.

Love goes out to all. Love wins.

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

the good the bad and the ugly

We all have them. Good sides, bad sides and just plain ugly sides. Most folks, including me, try to keep our best foot forward. Keep the good side out. But occasionally, we are "off" and someone will see our bad side or worse, our ugly side.

Say for example that you run into someone you know and you both show your ugly sides to each other. It's gonna happen, and you feel bad later. Then you see them a week later and everybody is back on, back in their better frame of mind.

Do you scold them for being ugly last week or do you just let it go? Do you poo poo them for being ugly or just respond to the good that you see in them now?

Grace loves. Grace forgives. Grace forgets. Grace responds to their good side and releases the bad feelings that came from their bad side. Heck, they may be doing the same for you in this new moment, seeing the good in you, and choosing to release how you made them feel when you were ugly.

So we all have those sides. Lets show the good today, let try to always be the good, but if someone slips, don't write them off for ever because they were ugly. They still have a good side, and it will come back.

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

glad I read this

Like most of you I woke up this morning to snow covered walks, drives and streets. I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down to catch some news on-line. Good thing too! I almost made a bad decision before reading this:

The good news is that 15 minutes of snow shoveling counts as moderate physical activity, according to the Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health (1996). We all should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity of some kind on most days of the week. A 170-pound person shoveling for 30 minutes will burn about 250 calories.

The bad news is that researchers have reported an increase in the number of fatal heart attacks among snow shovelers after heavy snowfalls. This rise may be due to the sudden demand that shoveling places on an individual’s heart. Snow shoveling may cause a quick increase in heart rate and blood pressure. One study determined that after only two minutes of shoveling, the heart rates of sedentary men rose to levels higher than those normally recommended during aerobic exercise. Shoveling may be vigorous activity even for healthy college-aged students. A study performed by researchers at North Dakota State University determined that, based on heart rate, shoveling was a moderately intense activity for college-aged subjects most of the time but was vigorous activity during about one-third of their shoveling time of 14 minutes. The weather can make shoveling more difficult. Cold air makes working and breathing hard, which adds some extra strain on the body. Shovelers also are at risk for hypothermia, a decrease in body temperature, if they are not dressed correctly for the weather conditions.

I may just have to wait this one out and look for a good snow ball fight instead for exercise today.

Be safe today.
Peace,
Lion's Den Man

to serve and be served

I spent some time the other day with a good friend. Our paths cross often, but finding uninterrupted time to catch up is rare. It was a good exchange, better than I could have hoped. Why? Because we invited each other in....dropped our guard...didn't use the common response of "good" to the question "how are things". I think we each saw an opportunity to serve and be served and I am not sure doing which of the two helped either of us more. I am glad that we took the time to slow things down for a little while. Sometimes we just need to be deliberate in our friendships.

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

horse whisperer

The horse whisperer grabs the face of the wild horse. He looks the horse in the eye. He speaks to the horse. And, somehow, the horse gets it. The horse remembers who he is and what he is about. The horse reaches back beyond his current thinking to the purpose of his creation.

The horse quiets. The horse relaxes. The horse becomes a part of the solution. The horse acts in concert with God's plan for the horse. All because the horse whisperer got a hold of him.

Lord, I wish I was better at whispering. Who do you need to whisper to? Better yet, what would God say to me if he really got my attention? If wise folks in the church got ahold of me and were able to whisper God's wisdom into me, what would they say?

The Holy Spirit still speaks in a still small voice.

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

the strange joy of painting

When I was younger I did not like to paint. Inside, outside, anywhere, I did not like to paint. But something has happened to me over the years. For some odd reason, I now enjoy painting.

To go into a room where some past painter has tagged the ceiling on accident and smeared a little paint on the baseboard or crown molding. To go in and touch up the ceiling and cut in the trim color, then to come back and cut the wall color to the trim, and roll it all out. It is good.

There is something about cleaning it all up, making it look right, sharp, crisp. Caulk the gaps. Cut a straight line. No roller marks.

Painting is mindless work. Maybe that is what I like about it. Nobody wants anything and you just get lost in your work. also, when you are done, you have made something beautiful. That is a pretty satisfying feeling.

If you have been feeling a little blue lately, go paint a room. It works for me.

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

Hawk stories

I have been collecting some hawk stories. Over by the Conoco station by church, there is a high wire that attracts a gaggle of pigeons. I know it is a gaggle of geese, what do you call a pile of pigeons?

Anyway, there is always a bunch of them on the high wire. If you look around, there is also a lone hawk that stays pretty close to the area. Someone told me that they have seen the hawk take a pigeon in flight, but never off the line. It is like the pigeons just sit there on the line, knowing that the hawk won't bother them when they are in their group. But, take off on your own, and you are fair game. Pigeon flying alone = hawk lunch.

Moral of the story: there are many enemies, predators out there in life. We do better when we stick together.

See you in God's house today.

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

pep talk

Pep talks are supposed to cheer you up. This one did.

I am sitting across the table from this person. She asks if I am mad [I was staring off into space] I told her I am not mad, I am just grousing about my problems. She asked me what I had to be grousing about.

Now that in itself is a good question, given the fact that everyone in my family is healthy.

I ran thru my list of items that I grouse about. When I finished, a very impressive pep talk was delivered on the topics of life, love and such. "Get up when you get knocked down." And the like. It went on for ten minutes.

I was so impressed by this pep talk and everything that was said was so, right. The best part of it, is that it came from my 22 year old daughter!!! I am still smiling just thinking about it.

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

your mom is sick

Hi. I know your mom is sick. I am sorry. I love you and I am holding you in my prayers. I know that we have not spoken much of late, but I care for you and I want you to know that.

I lost my mom in 1995 when I was 37 years old. It always hurts to lose them. You are in my prayers my friend.

Easter and how it is calculated

Someone asked, why Easter is when it is, and why it moves around. I had to look this up. It is pretty complicated.

Easter is determined on the basis of lunisolar cycles. The lunar year consists of 30-day and 29-day lunar months, generally alternating, with an embolismic month added periodically to bring the lunar cycle into line with the solar cycle. In each solar year (January 1 to December 31), the lunar month beginning with an ecclesiastical new moon falling in the 29-day period from March 8 to April 5 inclusive is designated as the paschal lunar month for that year. Easter is the 3rd Sunday in the paschal lunar month, or, in other words, the Sunday after the paschal lunar month's 14th day. The 14th of the paschal lunar month is designated by convention as the Paschal full moon, although the 14th of the lunar month may differ from the date of the astronomical full moon by up to two days.[48] Since the ecclesiastical new moon falls on a date from March 8 to April 5 inclusive, the paschal full moon (the 14th of that lunar month) must fall on a date from March 21 to April 18 inclusive.

Accordingly, Gregorian Easter can fall on 35 possible dates - between March 22 and April 25 inclusive.[49] It last fell on March 22 in 1818, and will not do so again until 2285. It fell on March 23 in 2008, but will not do so again until 2160. Easter last fell on the latest possible date, April 25, in 1943 and will next fall on that date in 2038. However, it will fall on April 24, just one day before this latest possible date, in 2011. The cycle of Easter dates repeats after exactly 5,700,000 years, with April 19 being the most common date, happening 220,400 times or 3.9%.

Now if that isn't clear as mud. It sounds like for some reason, early church fathers decided that the celebration of Easter should fall within some cadence of the lunar cycle. I am not sure why, but that would explain all of the random moving around of the date. And I think we should remember that ultimately the point of Easter is that Jesus is risen. :-)

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

snow stories

i drove up to church yesterday about 6:15 in the morning. the wind was blowing snow across the parking lot. there was a truck knocking down the drifts of snow and a man shoveling the sidewalks. i parked as close as i could to the building and made the dash to the door. it is amazes me how fast the cold wind can make your body temperature drop in only 15 seconds......

so i head up the stairs to the lecture hall for some coffee, food and fellowship. small crowd today but it is a lively one. we all faced the same battle coming in...we all survived. what next? well stories of course. I now know what fisherman do in the winter........tell snow stories. In less than 5 minutes it seemed like at least a dozen stories were told.....one bigger than the next...each one getting its fair share of attention with side comments and encouragement from the audience.

i don't know if this post has a point, but for some reason i felt i needed to share it. maybe.....maybe the point is we all have common ground and standing together sharing things like "snow stories" brings our worlds a little closer together.

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

laughter

one of my memories growing up was seeing my dad start his Saturday's either in the garage or his wood shop. He always had the radio on and there was a program he listened to called the " Saturday Morning Comedy Hour". That was my introduction to comedy. Along with his collection of music albums my dad had a great collection of comedy albums. I have bought cd's of my (his)favorites and listened to them on occasion, but not often enough. They bring back great memories. My dad loved to laugh and I am lucky he shared that passion with me.

I believe no matter what the times are like for you laughter is good medicine. Seek it out and share it with someone.

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. ~Victor Borge

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

12 days of Christmas

Someones asked about the wisemen and the 12 days of Christmas, so here we go-

Many of our Christian holidays [holy days] appear on the calendar in random fashion. For example, no one knows for sure that Jesus was actually born on December 25th. Fact is, many Christian holidays were placed on the calendar to compete with other pagan holidays. Church leaders in doing so were giving good Christian alternatives to help their followers avoid bad pagan celebrations.

For example, some churches have "watch night services" on new years eve. This is simply an attempt to keep the good church folks in church instead of being out on the town on new years eve.

The liturgical calendar or church seasons runs like this:
[anyone please correct me where I am wrong, I am sure that I am missing something here]

Advent
Christmastide
Epiphany
Lent
Easter
Eastertide
Pentecost
Kingdomtide
Advent
etc.

So, randomly are set some of the dates on the church calendar. December 25th is Christmas. January 6th is Epiphany. Epiphany marks the day that the wise men arrived from the east. The 12 days is from Dec 25 thru Jan 6th. In other cultures and times past, there was less celebrating, less parties in December and more of the merrymaking was celebrated during the 12 days, December 25 - January 6th.

For this reasons, churches usually leave up the Christmas decor until after Jan 6.

Inquiring minds wanted to know- now you know, the rest of the story.

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

peace and quiet

One of the blessings of the morning is that there is peace and quiet. The TV is off. I am the only one in the house awake. In such moments, if you stop and listen, you will hear the ticking of the clock, the hum of a neighbor warming up a car, the windchimes outside on the deck and a cat lapping up water.

If you also listen in these quiet moments, you can hear the voice of God. Comforting, embracing, and restoring you. What if you started getting up 10 minutes earlier than you need to, just so that you can sit in the quiet and spend a few moments alone with our Father. Sometimes all a person needs to do to find the calm in the midst of the storm, is to find the calm.

Turn off the TV. Sit down and listen. What do you hear?

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

knowing things

Yesterday I mentioned that there are some things about the faith that we just cannot know. Fact is, I think that there are lots of things that we cannot know. More so even, I think much of what we think we know, we are mistaken about.

Methodists are usually pretty good at staying focused on the essentials of faith and leaving the other matters of opinion in the court of opinion. That is one of the reasons that I like the Methodists. Most effort is spent on the core issues, the good stuff, the stuff that really matters.

What are some of the things that I think we can know-

• God loves us unconditionally.
• Jesus died for our sins.
• The Holy Spirit can convict us, comfort us, and lead us in this life.
• I trust that I have an eternal future with my Father.
• Loving others is the core activity of the Christian life.

What else do I need to know?

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

wisemen etc

Inquiring minds want to know. Here is the scoop on the wisemen not being at the manger.

Let's begin with the understanding that just because we believe something is so, does not necessarily make it so. for example, there is a bunch of folks who think the world is going to end on May 21st of this year. Google it.

In Luke 2:16 the shepherds found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. In Mt 2 the star stood over where the young child was and wisemen came into the house where the young child was.

So here is the theory. The wisemen saw the star when the baby was born and followed it for two years, arriving when baby Jesus was 2 years old. That is why Herod kills all of the babies age 2 and younger. In theory, the shepherds see Jesus in the manger on the night he is born. The wisemen arrive later.

This does not mean that you have to tear the wisemen out of your manger sets. It's ok.

Someone asked, so now you know, the rest of the story.

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

giddy

Giddy. Is that a word? It certainly isn't a word that I thought I would be using anytime soon. But, after eight days of living under a cloud, for some reason, last night, I became giddy. For no reason at all. Maybe I ate something and a burst of serotonin rushed into my brain. I would like to think differently though. I would like to believe that a person can only be down for so long. You can only do it for so long, then, you just come back. You light up again.

Last night I found the joy again. Giddy. for no reason. Awesome. I remember the scripture, one of my favorites from Psalm 30:5 "weeping lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

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

two questions

A few sermons back Jeff mentioned how someone was late for a lunch date and it gave him 10 minutes of peace and quiet....He went on to talk about finding the deeper things in life….appreciate the people and the things in your life.

Last night I was reading through some stuff and two questions struck a cord.
o How do you feel about the pace of your life?
o In what ways do you feel life is passing you by?

The pace of life. I am letting it rob me of my joy. The joy of experiencing life...sharing life. Listening to people's stories, watching how people interact. Being all there...Someone shouldn't have to tell me something they told once before....if I'm losing my memory then I should be writing it down…taking notes...but that isn't it. I shouldn’t be at one of my kid’s games and wonder what happened in the previous 5 minutes.....and on and on. I haven't been living in real time. Time to put the brakes on….hear the birds sing. The best times are found in real time.

Peace,
Lion’s Den Man

when we live God's way

Galatians 5:22-26 (The Message)

22-23But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

23-24Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

25-26Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.


Peace,
Lion’s Den Man

seeing

Yesterday before church, maybe out of desperation, i was reading in one of my favorite books, "Walking on Water" by Anthony Demello. By chance I came across the statement, "as long as we are focused on the thing that hurts, we will never see anything else."

Boom. Thank sunk in. I thought of all the people that I love. When I am lost in my problem, I cannot even see them. I only see the problem. That is not healthy living and it is not fair to everyone else in my world.

So I determined yesterday that I was going to see others. Everyone. I want to be present for everyone and not so lost in my stuff that my head is hanging down all the time. I think it helped. I need to keep working on it because I want to be there for everyone I love.

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

Make Friends

I had lunch with a friend the other day and he gave me some very good advice. Sometimes you can take an aspirin and make the pain go away. Sometimes you take Darvocet. Sometimes, no matter what you do, you just have to get used to it. No matter what you do, it is still going to be there. You have to accept it for what it is and make friends with the pain.

Ahh. Make friends with the pain. I have heard this before. You can't fight it or control it, so you welcome it, you embrace it and you make friends. You say, "Hello Mr Pain, its you again? Well come on and hang out. Is this all that you have? You are nothing that God and I cannot deal with."

Making friends with the pain also points me directly toward God. To live with such things a person have got to have the Almighty very close by. And He is.

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

a new year

Thank you Lion's Den Man for posting the last couple of days. I am back, at least for today. One day at a time, didn't someone say that?

It's a new year, and I have a new prayer.

I go into the room and I turn on the lights and I begin: "O Lord, I have turned on the lights so that you can be sure to see me. CAN YOU SEE ME? I am talking loudly so that you can be sure to hear me. CAN YOU HEAR ME? Please come out from where ever you are and listen to my prayer. I need you. My loved one needs you. Please help them please bless them. From the bottom of my heart my tears are pouring out to you. I am sobbing in the lowest places. I am begging you to act on behalf of the one whose name I am calling. I trust you. I love you. I need you. Thank you for being in my life. Thank you for loving my loved one even more than I do. I know that you see them. Please go to them and touch them. Heal them. Thank you. I will be back in a bit. Amen."

I don't know if God hears desperate prayers more than he hears casual prayers, but I hope so. I am offering what I have and trusting in Him.

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