thankful -16

from a reader -

I am grateful for the pets I've had in my life. I am grateful for the unconditional love they give. The first one I really remember was a poodle that Santa brought me several weeks before Christmas when I was 5. Heidi was such a good sport- she let me dress her up in doll clothes and would set in the doll high chair while I fed her pretend food. I also had a pretty white kitten, a pet goat (Nanny) that wasn't supposed to be a pet, several turtles, a really fat male mouse that, come to find out, wasn't fat... Or a male. (15 baby mice popped out of that thing!). Into adulthood, I had Maisy, the sweetest Rottweiler in the world, and Keesha, who had doggie-heimers. Having them put down was almost unbearable. It took two years before I'd even consider getting another pet, but I finally gave in. My Husband wanted another Rottie, and I didn't want one at all- so we compromised and got a baby Chihuahua named Bella. :) 9 months later... We got a second one named Bear. Bella & Bear (with a combined weight of 6 pounds) are the happiest and most loving little puppy dogs! When I come home they are so excited to see me. They make me feel 110% loved. Pets are sweet little 'extras' God created... not out of need for survival, but simply to bless us.

Dear God, thank you for the sweet creatures you made that we call 'pets'.

What are you thankful for?

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

thankful - 15

From one of our readers..........

I am thankful for marriage, the opportunity to build 2 lives into one entity, something greater than each of us separately.

Rest, in the arms of a friend, a lover or my Father.

For a heart that loves.  To be able to extend a hand in friendship because I only want to love them. 

Light-sunlight, moonlight, starlight, electric light, candlelight, firelight. All beautiful, all different, all creating a different perspective. 

The American Soldier-some gave because they had to, some because they wanted to, and some gave it all, just as Christ did, so that I can be comfy cozy in my life. God, shake up my life!  Give me discomfort, that I might recognize need in others.

The human brain-gosh how I enjoy conversations with creative and positive thinkers. And the inventions that bring so much to my life, electricity, that brought radio, television, computers, IPad, ovens, microwaves, washing machines, clothes dryers.  And then there's tFal, and crock pots, and food processors!

what are you thankful for?

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

thankful - 14

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

I am thankful for the ability to think.  To examine how and why I do things.  To pray to God about how I might need to think and act differently.  Thinking and examining my life keeps me on the road to being closer to God.   I am thankful for the ability to think.

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

thankful - 13

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

I am grateful for my mom. She is the kind of mom that always makes you feel loved. Never have I doubted that she loves me, and that's what I have always hoped that's boys could say about me. No matter what- I know my mom will always love me. She's always been there for me and I know that she would do anything she could to help me. Mom has had more than her share of hardships, but she continues to push forward and be grateful for the things in her life. She's never stopped learning new things, and she never gives up. She doesn't hold on to grudges and she isn't bitter. A lot of people get grumpier as they get older, but not my mom. She becomes more content, more understanding, and less judgmental all the time. She's my mom, and I love her much!

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

thankful - 12

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

I'm not even sure where to begin. My heart is so filled with gratefulness to God for so many, many things.  Today, I am grateful for life. I'm grateful for the emotions (all of them!) that make me feel alive. So today, I won't complain about getting older... For it sure beats the alternative! ;)

Dear God, thank you for giving me my life.

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

Thankful -11

From a reader -

I'm thankful that in the midst of God's apparent silence...sometimes over an extended period of time as I continually lay my nagging unanswered prayer before Him, He moves in such a way that I am aware He hears and is being God, even in my situation.

His answer to my prayer, as it comes, will be better than giving me what I ask. I am asking for the bad in my life to stop. God is crafting my story...and it's about Him, not me.

The reason I am frustrated with His "answer and timing" is because I'm more like me than Him. But, the more time I spend with Him...I suspect the more like Him I may become. One day, I'll come to think like Him...perhaps not soon, but one day. Then, I'll look back and bless His name for not "answering" my prayer by giving me my wish. Rather, on that day, my wish will be for His answer.

So, I'm thankful for a Father that cares more about my future than my appetite this hour. There's a peace that comes with trusting God. Bad things in life become manageable in a peace-filled place.

So, today I'm thankful for peace. That's a pretty awesome answer to prayer.

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

thankful - 10

from a reader-

I am thankful for change!  That sounds very strange coming out of my mouth, because I resist change at every opportunity.  I never move the furniture, switch out pictures or holiday decor.  I am the girl who sat on the third floor of my high school on my last day before graduation crying, because things would never be the same again.  I stayed in a destructive marriage because I didn't want to get divorced, worked at the same company for 30 years and have mourned excessively when loved ones have died.  So how can I possibly be thankful for change?

Every once in a while I have a moment of clarity and realize that life may not be going in the right direction for me.  I start to see options instead of rigidity, light instead of darkness, hope in place of despair.  I like to say that I see the stepping stones in the pond.  Suddenly big changes are possible, moving half way across the country, going to nursing school, getting a new job, finding my Lord and Savior.  I know now that these changes are fueled by his Holy Spirit.

So now I see that I have actually moved from point A to point B.  I HAVE CHANGED!!  It still scares me, but it lets me know that I am alive and that God will be with me all through the stages of change.  He knows that I am afraid, but he does not leave me.  It is through Jesus that I can be thankful for change.

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

thankful -9

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

I am thankful for people that are not afraid to do the right thing.  They seem to have the ability to step into difficult moments with poise.  I am thankful that they are not destroyed by opposition or anger.  I am thankful that their perseverance usually pays off. 

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

thankful -8

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

I am thankful for all of the good that can come to us in life, out of circumstances we would not choose.  Many of you know that my bride of 45 years went home to be with Jesus in August.  While the blessings in such a struggle that lasted 4 months, may seem to be overshadowed by the struggle, in my life that is simply not so.  I am thankful that I saw the church really become the hands and feet of the Christ.  While those times of ministry to me and my family were from mostly my WCC family, God chose to use many others in the roll He has given each of us, from His greater church.  Care givers that really care, medical professionals that were assigned to bring "bad news" and did it with such grace and mercy.  No matter what was going on at the time, there was someone who genuinely wanted to help in some way, so they did.  I have said many times, since Lynn passed on that it was such a blessing to see the church be the church as God intended!  From the prayer at mealtime of a preschooler expressing to God his hope for Lynn's suffering to end, another preschooler who wanted to "sing to Lynn" and did, to the many who reached out to our family in so many ways, God was glorified and I am truly grateful.  Have a blessed Thanksgiving Celebration and tell your spouse each day that you love him or her.

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

thankful - 7

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

Gratitude

I am thankful for my Lord and my God-to know He is mine, He is always there, a comfort beyond all boundaries, my encourager. 

For the fruits of the Holy Spirit, especially joy.  To be joyful in all circumstances.

For music; it stirs my soul.

For color;  and the eyes to see it!  But I think if I were blind, my mind’s eye would still see it.

For a sense of humor; being able to find the irony in our humanity! ;)

For self discipline.

For each sunrise; a clean slate for me, and all the world.

For the gift of prayer; an open communication with my Abba, for myself and to pray for others. 

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

thankful - 6

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

I am thankful for the life of prayer.  For the ways that I am learning to not just live, but to think about my living.  I love this quote from Meister Eckhardt -

"What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action."

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

thanksgiving - 5

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

Jeff, I was feeling down and worried today. Thinking about how we were going to be able to deal with some issues. Thinking about what we don't have. Then I saw this and I stopped and started thinking about what I do have that I am grateful for. I am grateful for a good husband who is my friend as well. I am grateful for our two beautiful, amazing, daughters. I am grateful for our two dogs who can always make me smile and feel loved. God sure knew what he was doing when he created those "pure" little beings who only want to love and be loved. Well they like to eat a lot too, but their needs are few. I am grateful that I have a church family that I dearly love. I am grateful that I know I can have 3 meals today if I choose. I am grateful I have a home to go to and a 12 year old car that runs well and i still love it. I am grateful that i have health and no serious pains. I could go on and on for quite some time about what I have that I am grateful for. Even though it doesn't make my current problems go away, it made me feel so much better to think about all the wonderful "things" I do have in my life. The list of what I have and am grateful for is much longer than the list of things I don't have.  Thank you. Sometimes we just need a little prompting to remember. 

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

thankful - 4

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

I am thankful that God's wisdom is so much more complete than mine. I pray that my focus will always be on understanding this, every day. It is such folly to think that we are the best person to guide our way through this life on earth.

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

thankful - 3

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

Thanks for the chance to do some evaluation about our lives.   I am most of all thankful to two young college men at a small Catholic collage in Montana who brought their room-mate home with them in 1940.  But most of all I am grateful to them for asking me to be his blind date to go to hear Tommy Dorsey play at the Wandamere  Ball Room on Thanksgiving eve.  It ended in a marriage which took place in 1947 and is still going strong 66 years later.  While, like any marriage, it has had its stress and sadness and struggles,  it has been filled with blessings "pressed down and flowing over" and that is the thing I am most grateful for this Thanksgiving --- and every day of my life. 

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

thankful - 2

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for. To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email. Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

I am thankful for the selfless decision our daughter's birth parents made a little over 7 years ago in deciding to let us adopt her from the day she was born.  I wake up every morning thankful to be a mom!  After waiting over five years for this to happen and enduring many heartaches, hearing her sweet voice makes my heart smile.  My husband & I are truly blessed.

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

thankful -1

During November, I hope to post something from each of you about what you are thankful for.  To participate, simply post a comment or send me an email.  Here is today's testimony of thanksgiving, from a reader of this blog-

I am thankful for my parents, they don't come any better than my Mom and Dad. I was raised in an average American home with 3 brothers and both a Mom and Dad in the house. My Mom and Dad were children during the Depression. Mom was 16 when she married my Dad then 20 after only knowing each other for about 6 weeks. My Dad was drafted just days later and served in the Korean war. WIthin 9 years they had 4 children. My Dad worked hard and Mom managed the house. They raised us to be honest, independent, resourceful, God fearing and to make the best of bad situations. My mom saw the good in everyone . They got to know our friends, they took us to church, they were Scout leaders, pack mothers, camp fire leaders, softball coaches, Sunday School teachers,MYF Leaders you get the picture. They attended probably every event any of us were ever in. They were always there. When i came home at night no matter how late i knew my Mom would be there to greet me and find out how my day/evening went. We played board games and card games together all the way through high school.. My Mom helped us with our English and History and Dad helped us with our Math and Science homework. We went to drive-in movies, wathced tv and ate popcorn, went fishing, made homemade icecream and ate dinner at home together. We were spoiled with love, rather than things.

As we all got married and moved away my parents continue to be there for us, our spouses, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They have spent time a great deal of time with each of their 18 grandchildrent individually. They know them, and each of the Grandchildren know Grandma and Grandpa are there for them! They treat everyone equally whether spouse, step, or adopted. They continue to be heavily involved in their church. They have become parents to some of our spouses who no longer have parents. They do things for people in need. My Mom still sees the best in people. When we have each gone through tough situations, they were there to support us and cheer us on. We still have a yearly get-together for Christmas and for the most part the entire extended family is there. Dad retired from KCP&L after 30 years. He worked hard and earned his way up the ladder. We affectionately call Mom the food-pusher. If you are at their house you are going to get fed whether you are hungry or not. She is a great cook.

My Dad turned 80 in August. He has had a lot of health issues over the years. He just got out of the hospital last week after a 2 week stay. In December of last year he spent the entire month in the hospital (and yes we all were there on Christmas to see him). But they keep going.
You will still find Mom and Dad at the church,either singing in the Choir, cooking for pancake breakfasts, or participating in some commitee or event..Dad as well still serves at military funerals. They are busy. If anyone of us asks them to come to an event, they will be there.

In just a few weeks my Mom and Dad will celebrate their 60th anniversary. They have been an example of Christs love on this earth in action.
I am blessed beyond belief to have them as parents. Parents don't come any finer than the set God gave to me.

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

Halloween

I have such wonderful memories of Halloween.  Although I was raised in a very strict religious home, the gloves came off for Halloween.  All the rules changed.  Mom worried about evil all year long, but on Halloween, she just wanted to have fun.  It was so nice to have the pressure off and just be able to be a normal kid.

We would all dress up, put on scary music, and cook good things to eat.  She had a sign that had a witch on it that she would put on the door, the sign said, "Welcome kiddies, put all your goodies in the box below.  Go quietly and no one will get hurt."

I am so pleased as an adult, that our family has enjoyed this holiday together.  My children always had such fun roaming the neighborhood.  I have always enjoyed taking out the Hershey bars from their loot after they went to bed. Scott is in Denver, but the girls are coming over on Wednesday night and it will be a happy time.  I hope yours is as well.

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

not a believer

I am meeting soon with someone who tells me that they are not a believer.  I think that they want to believe, they just have a lot of doubts. 

When you have doubts, just remember this.  You may not be able to see Him, you may not be able to feel Him, but He is always there.  You may be feeling dismal, but God is still there.  Every day, every moment, you are never alone.

When the eyes of my soul are open, I see Him in the fall colors, in the miracle of the human body, in the laughter of a friend.  Oh yes, God is here and He is always around you.

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

pumpkins

So, last night we had a lot of fun.  The girls came over and we carved pumpkins.  I hope that they last until Halloween, but we carved them none the same.  I have one normal daughter and one with an odd sense of humor.

They get their odd humor from their mother.  I carved one pumpkin.   One daughter carved a normal pumpkin, the other carved one that said, "don't eat it [the candy]- lol ...."  How strange is that.  Ornery she is.  Last year she made one that said, "watch out, we have bad candy!"

Family can be so much fun.

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

self esteem

I have a cat that has low self esteem.  He is never happy unless he is sitting on your lap.  You can throw him off 30 times in a row and he just keeps coming back.  It's hard to understand- good looking cat, well fed, life long member of our family, why would he have self- esteem issues?

Then I look at so many of us.  Nice families, great lives, but low self esteem.  I cannot tell you the number of people that I talk to that are unhappy with themselves or feeling bad for some little reason.  Sometimes they don't even know why they feel badly.

Let us take comfort in the loving reach of our heavenly Father.  He is always there for us.  He never throws us out of the room.  In His arms are comfort and consolation.  He can sooth the painful days.

Peter wrote, "cast your cares upon Him, for he cares for you."  The psalmist wrote, "cast your cares upon Him, for he will sustain you."

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

college football

Today I am driving to Columbia for the MU game.  A friend called me last night and offered me a ticket.  How do you pass that up?  Whether you are an MU fan or a KU fan or a K-state fan, college games are awesome.

I hope that you are doing something enjoyable today. 

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

souls

Hmmm.  When you see people as souls, everything changes.  Remember what is really important.  They are just souls, on a journey.

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

a little pain

Did you ever have a day that was just another day?  You just went through the motions.  Same old same old.  [we should not live this way, but we often do....]

Well there is a sure cure for the same old same old day.  Just add a little pain, and suddenly you know that you are alive.  A broken toe, a paper cut with lemon juice, an angry friend, or a disappointment is all it takes for you to become very present in your day.

Although we, by nature, do not like painful things, they do cause us to pay attention to life.  When we are in pain, the moments crawl by.  Days seem to stretch into weeks.  Maybe that is not a bad thing.  Sometimes I wish I could have more time in my life.  The days sure seem long when you are struggling.

So if you have something going on, rejoice!  God is with you and you are alive.  Smile, make friends with the painful thing and work to look past it to see the good.

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

one foot

Some days hold little inspiration.  You don't feel particularly on.  You don't feel particularly spiritual.  Yet we awake in God's world, which is full of wonder.  So you get up and go.  Plus, your boss is expecting you.

One foot in front of the other, we enter the day.  We go about our tasks and hope that somewhere along the way we will feel it.  It.  That special joy of being alive.  You know, it is just around the corner.  I know it is right there if I can just see it.

And so we go into this day.  One step at a time.  Looking, waiting.  Hoping.

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

acting and reacting

I have written about this before, but it is a constant issue for us humans.  In a given situation, am I going to react or act? 

Reacting is what we do when we respond to stimuli without thinking.  We just do what comes naturally.  Someone cuts us off in traffic and we retaliate.  Someone says something hurtful to us and we hurt them back.  That is reacting.  It's human, but it is rarely the best course.

Acting is different.  To understand that you can act instead of reacting is some very powerful news to humans that are able to learn this lesson.  You don't have to react to everything.  You have another choice.  Stop yourself, take a step back, take a deep breath.  Ask yourself who you are.  Ask yourself what you are about.  Say a prayer.  Breath in the Holy Spirit.  Consider your options and choose the healthiest course.  Then act.  Act out of the best of who you are.

Things always go better when we act instead of react.  I am sure that we will get another chance to do it right today.

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

the part you don't see

Be well aware that 90% of an iceberg is underwater.  It is also true that a good deal of most people is hidden beneath the surface.  Usually the part that you don't see is a person's fears, worries and hurts.

So, you see someone and you have a feeling about what they are like and how they are doing.  Please remember that there is a man, or a woman, behind the curtain.  Behind what you see, is the unseen.  Understand that they need even more grace than you had thought.  Especially people that are not very nice, it could just be that they are dealing with very painful things that you cannot see and they will not tell you about.

You will probably run into just such a person today.

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

what are you thankful for?

During the month of November, I would like to post/share things that you are thankful for.  So, please take a few moments and post a comment or send me an email with a list of things, or a story of what you are thankful for.  It can be short or long, it just must be from your heart.

The practice of gratitude, the exercise of giving thanks is likely the one central key to learning to live a happy life.

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

the good things

Yesterday I wrote about the hard things about ministry.  Here are some of the good things about being a pastor.

You get a chance to love people.  To forgive them.  To welcome them.  To help them along the way.  You get to baptise children.  For that matter, any baptism is great.  It is a joyful reminder of God's promise with us.  Whether sprinkled, poured or dunked, baptisms are great.

You get to serve communion.  To offer someone the body and blood of Christ is an awesome thing.

You get to help people in their time of need.  I have seen marriages come back from the brink.  Families survive tragic illness.  Young people transition times of fear.  Hope restored.  Faith secured.

You get to hold the hands of people in their most painful moments and remind them of God's love and presence.  You get to try to teach people about spirituality.  You get to share your own journey of change and perspective.  You get to be a part of the great high church days- Ash Wednesday, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas.

You get to tell the story of grace.  Of God's amazing love. 

You get to forgive people who misbehave.  You get to model forgiveness.  You get to release people from their worries and fears.  You get to preach.  What a great opportunity to try to help folks take the next step along the way.

You get to preside over weddings, which are usually wonderful.  You get to preside over funerals.  It is a joy when you get to celebrate a life well lived.

You get to hug people and smile with them and love them.  It is a wonderful calling, a wonderful job, a wonderful life.  I am the most fortunate pastor that I know.

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

the hard things

Someone asked about the hardest things about being a pastor.  Here are some of them.

Burying someone that you love.
Absorbing the grief of those who hurt.
Listening to someone tell you that they are terminal.

Saying "no" to people who want things.
Not doing someone's wedding or funeral.
Managing budgets in a bad economy.
Not having enough funds to do everything that you want.
Telling someone why they aren't getting a raise.
Dealing with unhappy members.
Dealing with unhappy staff people.

Knowing that everyone expects you to be "on" every Sunday.
Disappointing people.
Not knowing all of your members.
Not being able to be apart of every program.
Dealing with folks that only want to talk to Jeff.

Listening to someone tell you that they are moving to another church.
Watching people disappear from church and never tell you goodbye.
Hearing complaints about various things.
Encouraging folks that can't seem to see the good.
Keeping your chin up day after day.

Someone asked, so there you go.  And so, the challenge for every day is to see the good.

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

stairs

With my recent knee problem, I have become very aware of the difficulty some face on a daily basis going up and down stairs.  My knee will get better- others struggle every day with stairs.

With that said, I have a friend that is in need of a stair chair lift thing.  If you know of one for sale, please let me know.

Spend some time today being thankful for health.

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

quiet

It's gonna be getting real quiet around here.  Alli moved out a year and a half ago.  Scott left a year ago.  Jenny is moving out this weekend, into an apartment near Town Center.  That makes us officially empty nesters.

Last night while she was upstairs packing, I'm sure she was singing and feeling very excited.  I was down stairs fighting off that melancholy feeling.  I put on a western.  I love westerns.  Sometimes a good way to move yourself past your feelings is to find a good diversion.

Change is inevitable.  At least she isn't moving far away.  Sometimes it is easy to see the good.  Sometimes, we have to work at it, even if it means acclimating to things that make us feel funny.

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

a tribute

I participated in a memorial service on Friday night for Bill Apel.  A great man.  Almost his entire family got up to speak.  They said such wonderful things about him.  It is my belief that it doesn't matter what you tell others about yourself, it is the testimony of those closest to you that will give an accurate picture of who you really are.

At the entrance to the chapel last night, there was a big picture of the family.  Mom and Dad, grown kids, grand kids.  The caption of the picture said this:

"A man's most lasting influence on this world is seen in the faces of his family.  The light in their eyes when they talk about him, in the love that they will hold onto forever.  Here's to a good man.  to the life he lived, the hearts he touched, the legacy he leaves behind."

May we all live in such a way as to receive such a tribute from our family.

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

funny not so funny

Someone asked about a funny moment in my life.  This wasn't funny at the time, but I can laugh about it now.  Here goes.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.  It's 1994 and I live in Princeton, but I know I am moving to Woods Chapel so I start studying the church directory to learn the names and faces of the people at the new church.  I work hard at this and get them imprinted pretty well in my brain.

Along comes the first big church wedding.  The entire congregation is present for Susan's second marriage.  In the church directory she was married to Robert, but the directory is several years old and now she is marrying Paul.  Do you see where this is going?

The music starts.  It is big and dramatic wedding music.  The bridesmaids all come in.  Here comes the bride.  The bridal party is all lined up across the front.  There is a prayer, the people are seated, and now comes the moment.  The new pastor is about to open his mouth.

"Friends, we are gathered together here today in the sight of God and the presence of these witnesses to join together Robert and Susan in holy matrimony."

The moment that I said this, the closest bridesmaid bent over and made a noise like she was sick to her stomach.  I stepped toward her and asked her if she was alright.  She said, "You said Robert!"

Oh my.  The embarrassment of that moment.  Everyone knew that I had just made a terrible mistake.  I wanted to shrink down to a tiny size and crawl out of the church.  But, since I couldn't do that,  I stepped out to the bride and I said, "I am so very very sorry."  Then I took a deep breath, looked across the entire audience and said, "let's start over again from the beginning." 

The wedding went on after that without a hitch.  Susan actually got married to Paul that day, and to this day, I write the names of the bride and groom in very big letters in several places in the program. 

May you be spared such moments of trauma in your life.

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

family

I have a great family.  Great wife and kids.  Sometimes, though, they drive me crazy.  I am sure that sometimes your family drives you crazy too.

Well, when I start to get upset about some dumb little thing, I try to remember how good it is of them to put up with me.  If they were all gone, if they all moved to Moscow and I was all alone, who would put up with me?

When I think of things that they do that annoy me, I get annoyed.  When I think of annoying things that I do, I am really glad that they are around to love me and to put up with me.  Life is all about perspective.  Sometimes the difference between a good day, and a frustrating day is a choice of how you will look at things. 

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

vacation

I was on Vacation last week.  My dear wife and I spend 6 days in San Francisco, Napa and the redwoods.  I lived in the bay area for 8  years from the age of 12 to 20.   Part of my heart still lives there.  We watched the Blue Angels fly over San Francisco bay.  We saw the sights and smelled the smells of Northern California.  We are back now and glad to be home.  Thanks to everyone who covered for me at church.  Here are some of the sights that we saw and the things that we experienced.

Alexander Valley.  North of Sonoma.

 

 Trinchero

 

Fisherman's Wharf 

The Blue Angels over SF bay 

Navy Destroyer coming under the Golden Gate Bridge.

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

losing one's self

We have always talked about losing one's self, As in denying one's self, mortifying the flesh, denying one's own pleasure.  Causing yourself pain over pleasure.  Hurting yourself for the common good.  Causing yourself pain instead of taking pleasure for yourself.

What if there is something else to the concept of denying yourself.  What if denying yourself is not about hurting yourself, but is really about coming to the realization that you are not the person that you thought you were.  Stop.  Think. What ever you think that you are, you are not.  You must now release yourself of the ideas that you have had about your self.  Leave your imaginations of what makes you good or bad.  You are not the dancer in life, you are being danced by God.

What if everything that you are is no longer defined by your mind, but is defined by God.  You no longer have control over who you think you are.  God alone speaks to you and tells you who you are.  Wow.  Does that change your, my self image?

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

anything that I want

If I could spend one day doing anything that I wanted, I would wear blue jeans and tennis shoes.  I would be off work and no emergencies would arise.  I would get up at 5:30am and feel great.  I would spend the morning doing things that I love.  I would plant flowers, mow the grass, vacuum the car, ride the motorcycle, paint the house, build a shelf, and get the mail.  I would catch up and complete every project that is open around the house.  I would eat watermelon for breakfast, a tuna sandwich for lunch.  I would be by myself all day because everyone else would be at work.  My kids would come over for dinner and we would grill chicken and peppers and onions.  Mmmmmm.

I might read a book in the afternoon.  Some friends might stop by for a bit and visit.  I would be friendly and say hello to everyone that I met during the day.  I might help a kid in the neighborhood with their bike after school.  I would certainly take a nap at 4pm.  After dinner we would play a game- maybe the "game of things."  It would be 70 degrees all day.  I would fall into bed at 10pm with a feeling that it was a great day, that sense that it is great to be alive. 

Someone asked what I would do on a day if I could do anything that I wanted.  Now you know.

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

characteristics of friends

Someone who reads this blog asked me to write about friendship.  Their request opened my mind to many things to write about.  I would like to know who you are that made this request.  Please send me an email at jeffb@woodschapelchurch.org if you are willing to identify yourself.

What kind of people do I seem to be attracted to as friends?  All of my close friends are Christians.  But I have many people that I am friends with that are not Christians.   I have friends of both political parties.  Some of them talk politics with me, some of them don’t.  I like learning from others why they think the way that they do.  My friends tend to have very good senses of humor.  They are honest and fair.  They treat others with respect.  They don’t mind telling me if they think I have made a mistake.  In fact, I consider this type of honesty to be mandatory in a friendship.  They are trustworthy.  I can tell them anything, and they tell me about their hurts and joys as well.  One characteristic that I love in people, whether they are my friends or not, is that they are generous and they are engaged in living a generous life.  I don’t like spending time with negative people, so my friends are pretty positive.  They also know how to dish out the grief.  They have to be able to give me a hard time, and they have to be able to take it.  My friends love their wives and children.  My friends love my wife and my children.  I guess I would sum it up by saying that the people that I am friends with have a deep sense of goodness about them. 

I have won the friend lottery.

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

rock in the house

Sunday, as we walked into the 10:10 Sanctuary Service, we watched as Adam started in on a tune from the late Stevie Ray Vaughn. Wow, SRV at a church service! I was not so much surprised as I was filled and moved. A while back Kevin K. let his hair down by singing a little Supertramp and a year or so ago U2 was played to close out a service...So what does this mean? Maybe not much to you, but for me at least, it was great to hear music that stirs the (my) soul... I admit I am more of a secular music fan than a Christian one. Something about the stories hidden inside some of the that music really moves me. The stories of the broken person, the artist, who found something to grab hold of or someone perhaps, who was able to help pull them out of the muck and mire....I like stories like that... they are everywhere. I guess it is that message of hope that is there for all who are lost....

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

enjoy today

do you ever take time to think back to a time in the past, maybe it was a year ago or a few months or just weeks or days and there was this "thing" that was consuming you at that time. maybe it was important maybe it was trivial, but now it has passed. during the time this "thing" really had a hold of you...you were distracted from enjoying life. maybe you lost sleep. maybe you were on edge because of it and that bled over into your relationships. and now, today, the thing has past and maybe since then a new "thing" has replaced it maybe even several new "things" have come and gone. they come and go as do the days that are now gone and the time has passed and you will never get the chance at those days again. kind of sad when you think about it. our time is short and yet we let "things" steal away our time and our ability to be fully present in the here and now.

"Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles. It takes away today's peace."

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

freeing people to live

So, someone thinks you are mad at them.  Maybe they think you won’t forgive them.  If they are a people pleaser, it really wears on them.  Every time they think of you [or me if I am the person]  their hearts are heavy.

I have been thinking about this.  I do not want them to have a heavy heart.  I don’t want them to hurt when they think of me.  Think of the power that you have to release them.  Maybe your kid has disappointed you.  Maybe someone hurt you.  Do we really want to live the rest of our lives with bitterness towards them?  Do we really want them to feel badly when they think of us?

Release them.  “I hereby forgive every person for everything and anything that they have ever done to hurt me.”  Now, there you go.  Not a single one of you should feel sad when you think of me, cause I just love you.  God bless you, I just  love you.  The air is clear.  It’s a new day.

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

I have your back

Someone apologized to me the other day because they were involved in a legal action against someone who had not paid them in their business.  No need to apologize.

First of all, I understand that sometimes legal action must be taken to get people to do the right thing.  That is why the court system is there.

Secondly, as a friend, I have your back.  All of you, I have your backs.  I am not going to judge you.  You may have faults, we all do.  I may, in the course of living life with you, find out about your faults.  And you will surely find out about mine.  I am not going to condone everything that everyone does, nor do I expect you to condone my faults.  However, I will accept you and love you and support you, warts and all.  I will never focus on the bad or uncomfortable things.  I will only focus on the good.  This is the gift of friendship.  This is the grace that God shows to us.  And if God can love us and support us warts and all, then we need to give the same to each other.

There is never a reason to apologize to me for being human.  Last time I checked, I was one too.

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

friendships continued

If you pinned me down, about my best friends today, I would surely leave someone out and  hurt their feelings.  So forgive me for that.

There are so many people that I love at our church.  Many of you I think of often, and fondly.  We may have never shared a hamburger, but I love you so much.  A great example of this is Phil Hart.  Man I love that guy. 

Another guy I dearly love is Lions Den Man.  He does not know this, but over the last two weeks I have thought of him every day.  Not sure why.  I need to call him.  He is the best.

Ok, friends.  P, D, M, H, J, S, C, J, R, LDM, K, S, T, DJ, B, T, H, J, R,M, B, L, A, F, M, G, T, D, A, W, B, D, and on and on I go.  You can see that I have won the friend lottery.  I am the most fortuante human being.  I am the most fortunate pastor.  I have canoed with these guys, played softball, bowled, rode on pontoon boats, listened to music, talked about life, ate pizza, laughed and cried.  Oh, the value of a friend is the most precious thing that a person can have.

I will also tell you that I am friends with my children, Alli, Jenny and Scott.  I love them so much.  Their friends come over and I love them as well.  I don't see them much but when the girls college friends come over, we always have such a great time. 

If you have a friend, count yourself as blessed.  If you have more than one, smile, because life is very very good for you.

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

Friendships in Lees Summit

This is where I am going to get in trouble, because I am going to leave someone out.  Please don't be upset.  It is early in the morning and my brain is moving slowly.

There are two things that I have learned about friendship since I moved here in 1994.  First of all, I have learned that you can have more than one friend at a time.  In fact, I have won the friend lottery since I moved here.

The second thing that I have learned, painfully about friendship, is that sometimes they change and people move on.  Difficult as that is, it is something that I have had to make peace with.  I have lived here for 18 years and four months.  Almost three times longer than I have ever lived anywhere else in my life.  So I have had many friends here at Woods Chapel.

Where do  I begin?  It took me about a year to get over leaving Princeton and the loss of my friend Roger.  Finally I became great friends with S and J.  S is still in my life.  We bowl together on Monday nights.  I love him and he is awesome.  J I only see occasionally, but again, he is a great guy.  When all three of our jobs changed, we had less time to hang out. 

I then became great friends with B and another fellow.  I can't use even an initial for the other fellow, because he got mad at me and dumped me.  It crushed me.  B is still around and I see him occasionally, but not as much as we used to.  I still love him dearly.

I should mention the Armadillo softball team.  Every single one of those guys is my bonded brother for life.  I will never forget the parade of their faces at the funeral visitation for my father. 

Well, that is all for today.  More tomorrow.

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

post college friendships

I am continuing to write on friendships.  My last year of college I had no friends, as Dallas Moore moved back to Bethel, Ohio.

After college I laid asphalt for two years.  During that time, my best friend was Bob Walls.  I also dated a couple of gals.  Then I went off to Seminary.  My best friend there was Vic Heister.  Again, what a fine man he was.  So talented.  He could build or fix anything.  He was from Bethel, Oklahoma.  Two friends from Bethel.  That is interesting.  I learned so much from him about construction.  We installed hot tubs and built decks.  I found him a year ago thanks to the internet, but we have not really kept up.  You know, people get busy and life goes on.

After seminary, I served my first churches in Cache and Indiahoma, Oklahoma.  You will have to mapquest those to see where they are at.  I did not really make any long time friendships there, although there were many people in the congregation I dearly loved.  Daryl and Syd Perry to name a few.

I moved back to Kansas City in 1986.  I rekindled my friendship then with Bob Walls.  I found Bob a few years ago.  When he got remarried I performed the service.  He had a brain tumor a few years ago.  It was removed and he is doing well.  He lives in Overland Park, but we don't really stay in touch very much.  That is bad on my part, because he is a great guy.  Odd, all of my friends have been really great guys.

Cathy and I moved to Lebanon, MO in 1989.  We lived there for two years.  My best friend there was Tim Marcum.  Isn't it odd that I have only had one friend at a time for all of these years?  Tim and I played golf together and took third place in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament.  He was in the Army and was a tremendous man. 

We moved to Princeton, MO in 1991.  I loved the people of the Princeton church.  My best friend there was Roger Grout.  He truly is one of the finest men I have ever known.  Our souls were knit together. It crushed me when we left him and moved to Lee's Summit.  I will never forget the day that I loaded up the last van load and pulled out of the driveway.  I sobbed for 30 miles from Princeton to Bethany.

That does not mean that I don't love it here in Lee's Summit, the tears were a testament to what a wonderful friend he was.  More tomorrow.

By the way, today is my Dad's birthday.  In some ways, my Dad was a great friend to me as well.  Although he once told me that he could not be my Dad and my friend at the same time, he was wrong.  I miss him a lot.  Happy Birthday Dad.

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

best friend

Someone asked that I post about my best friend besides God and Cathy.  Here you go. 

Best Friend.  I hate to write about this because there are so many people that I dearly love.  Years ago, there was a couple that Cathy and I were close to.  I one referred to them as our best friends.  He startled me by saying that they don't have or don't identify best friends, because they have so many friends.  It hurt my feelings at the time, but now, years later, I totally understand.  So let me write for a few days about friendship.

When I was young I had very few friends.  I usually had one friend at a time.  When I was in grade school at South City View in the Center School District, my one friend was Greg Fisher.  He lives in Arizona now, and we do not keep up.  I do keep up with his mom.  We had lunch a few weeks ago.  His sisters and mom attend St. John's UMC at 6700 Ward Parkway.

When  I was in Jr High, I attended Bret Harte Jr High in San Jose, California.  My one and only friend was Mark Stanton.  Mark lives in Illinois now and I have not heard from him in years.  He is a great guy and very funny.  Mark, if you google yourself one day, I would love to hear from you.

When I was a senior in high school, I began dating.  I was pretty serious about that.  Mark moved away.  My best guy friend was Mark Flammer.  I have no idea where he is or what he is doing.  His dad was a teacher.  We played tennis and went out on his Hobie Cat Catamaran.  My best girl friend was Lisa M.  She was my first love.  We dated for 2 1/2 years.  It crushed me when she ended that.  I thought life was over.  But it wasn't.  I am sure that there is a lesson there.

My first year of college was at San Jose State.  My best friend was still Mark Flammer.  Then we moved back to Kansas City and I finished college in Springfield.  My best friend there was Dallas Moore.  He lives in Cincinnati.  I drove out to visit him in 1998.  He is such a fine man and such a great person.  So funny.  I have not talked to him for years.  If you know him, ask him to call me.  We played tennis, soccer, baseball, Foosball, and every other sport in the world together.  I was the right side linebacker, he was the left side linebacker.  I miss him.  I dearly loved him.  When he did not come back for our senior year, I was crushed.

Ok, that is all that we are going to do for today.  Make it a wonderful day.

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

what to do

Sometimes in life I have these moments that can only be summed up with the thought, "well what do you do with that?"  There are moments that leave me dumbfounded.  I have seemed to run into something that just leaves you shaking your head.

The other night I had a dream.  Dreams are a funny collection of things.  Here is the dream:  Sunday morning church was full.  Lots of people.  The power went off so everyone left.  I couldn't get the folks to understand that we could still have church without electricity.  Now the strange part.  A woman called me and suggested that we start a ministry of doing laundry for people. She would be willing to buy two washers and dryers to get it going.  I liked the idea.  For the homeless, for the elderly, what a great ministry.  Then the kicker, the caveat, the followup.  She wanted her 15 year old son to be in charge of the ministry and to be paid to do the laundry.

I am not sure what to say to her.  Something about a conflict of interest.  Something about the concept of mission usually does not include payment.  Something about volunteering or giving.  I was dumbfounded.  I didn't know what to say. 

Fortunately for me, the alarm rang.  I was only a dream.  It was time to get up and deal with real life, which is only slightly more crazy sometimes than what I find in my dreams.

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

important things

Important things.  We decide what  is important by how we use our resources, how we spend our money and how we spend our time.  If you run though my check book you can total up what we spend on various things and see what our family values.

Humans are funny.  Christians are funny.  We talk about what we love.  We talk about what we think is important, but we spend a good deal of our time and money on those things that will not satisfy.

Today I encourage you to release yourself from worry about the things that are not that important.  Just for one day lets not worry about how we look or if we have new clothes.  Lets not worry about entertaining ourselves or others.  Lets turn off the TV.  Lets not worry, period.  Maybe that will free us to to do some of the really good things.

Ride a bicycle.  Sit in the afternoon with a friend.  Call someone who has been on your mind.  Say thank you to someone unexpectedly.  Attend worship.  Go to the park.  Walk the trails at church.  Spend some quiet time with our Father.  At the end of the day I think we will all look back and say it was a beautiful day.

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

arrogance

Arrogance.  Not one of the fruit of the spirit.  Arrogance is so bad, it isn't even a nice word.  Just to see it in print gives me a queasy feeling.

Arrogance is defined as an "offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride."  

I trust that you have none of this within you.  I trust that you flee from this at every turn.  It is bad in a human.  It is worse in a Christ follower.  It is inexcusable in a pastor.

Let us with joyful hearts pursue our Father and His interests.  Let us always consider the feelings and needs of others.

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

if a tree falls

If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to hear it, does it make any noise?

Here is another way to look at that.  While you and I are totally self absorbed by our life, what is God doing in nature?  While I am driving a car, sitting in front of a computer, buying groceries or sleeping, what is God doing?

While I am engaged in all of those busy human behaviors, God is up to some pretty cool things.  Trees are blowing in the wind.  Grass is growing.  Flowers are budding out.  Stars are exploding.  Planets are spinning around.  The sun is baking.  Birds are flying.  Cats are taking a cat nap.  Trees are falling in the woods and making noise.

While I am blithely going about my human chores, God is doing His work.  I may not be thinking of Him and His actions, but He is still up to His work.  He never takes a day off.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to look up from your tasks and see the good.

surgeries

From the department:  random things to blog about:  surgeries that I have had.

1993- Ring finger on my left hand was cut open under local anesthetic to remove chips of wood.  Seems that if you hit your hand with a hammer hard enough, you can drive all sorts of things into your tissue.

2001- Right shoulder, rotator cuff.  Tried to do it orthoscopically, ended up having to cut me open.  Seems that sliding headfirst into home plate can tear up a shoulder pretty badly.

2004 - Cataracts.  Both eyes.

2005 - Right knee scoped.  Cartilage removed.  Arthritis removed.  Bone spurs cut off.

2008- Gall bladder removed.  Again, tried to do it laproscopically, ended up having to cut me open.  The scar tends to scare young children.

2012- no surgery.  That makes it a beautiful year in God's world, be sure to see the good.

older

When I was younger, I wanted to know more about God.  I wanted to learn all of the right doctrine.  I wanted to be sure that I was right all of the time and had all of the right answers.

Now, I am older.

The more I know, the more I know that I don't know.  I am no longer content to know doctrine.  I want to know God.  I realize that my thoughts about Him can never contain or capture him.  Instead, I want to get lost in the wonder, the joy, the goodness, the glory of our Father.

I know now that I do not and will never have all of the right answers.  But I can point you in the direction of the one who shares our burdens and loves us unconditionally.  For me, that has become enough.

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

surprise

The surprise of hospitality.  It is odd, but when someone is nice to us, when someone is kind or hospitable, it can almost be surprising.  We are so used to being stepped on by others and ignored, sometimes kindness is unexpected.

Try it yourself.  Start practicing radical hospitality.  Go out of your way to be kind to everyone.  They will be pleasantly surprised, and you will find life much more enjoyable.  It is surprisingly fun to be hospitable.

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

the last time

Do you remember the last time someone talked to you?  They left you with a feeling.  A good feeling or a bad feeling.  Someone talked to me a couple of years ago- it was rough.  I remember it well.  It has left a painful feeling with me for several years.  Every time I think of them, I remember the last time we talked and what they said.

I suspect that it can be a positive thing as well.  If someone leaves you feeling joyful and happy, then your last encounter with them will always be remembered as a good one.  You will think of them and be happy.  [Betty you are this kind of a person.]

Now, imagine who you will talk to today.  You are leaving an impression.  Are you touching them with grace or with judgment?  Will your words mark them for good or ill?  You have a chance today, and so do I to bless everyone that we come in contact with.  I'm in.  Let's go love someone for Jesus.  Two years from now, they will remember what we said and how we said it.

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

feeling good

Having had a bout with a bad knee has reminded me of something very important in life.  The gift of health.  We take it for granted all of the time.  We just expect that we will always feel good.  Then when we are sick, we sometimes even feel resentful that we are under the weather.

Good health is a great blessing.  Although being sick helps us to appreciate being well, we should always appreciate and be thankful for feeling good.

Thank you Lord that I am healthy today.  I do not have a cold, and my knee is feeling much better.  Thank you.

What do you have to be thankful for?

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

my knee

Several have asked what is going on with my knee.  Well, me and my knee have 55 years of history together.  The first 21 were very good.  The last 34 have been touch and go.

I hurt my knee when I was 21, playing intramural football in college.  I went out for a pass, dove to catch it, and was landed upon by the defender, who later became my room mate and dear friend.  In that encounter I am sure that cartilage was torn.  I ended up at the hospital.  They told me that they could cut me from mid calf to mid thigh, but that I was so young, they wanted to give me some time to see if it healed.  Arthoscopic surgery did not exist back in the dark ages.

Well, it did heal, sort of.  It has never been right.  I have hurt it several times over the years.  Several times in softball, and several times painting the house.  Five years ago I had it scoped.  They told me then that if I came back to them, they would want to replace the knee.

So, it has been so long since I hurt it, and I have been feeling so good, I totally forgot how fragile it is.  When I was on my reading week in the California redwoods a month ago, I decided to exercise every day.  So I got up early and ran every day.  It felt great.  Until I woke up on the 4th day and my knee was as big as a watermelon. 

I have been on steroids to keep the swelling down.  I have been icing it. It is feeling better.  I know that I did not hurt it, I just aggravated it.  So, all is well, it is feeling better every day.  And now you know, the rest of the story.

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

sleep

Lately I have been having trouble sleeping.  It is unusual for me.  I find myself going to bed at 10 or 11pm and waking up at 3:30 or 4am.  Sometimes when you wake up, you know that you are done sleeping.  This is what has been happening to me.

I am not sure what to think about it, or what it means, but I am getting a lot more done during the day, simply because the days are longer.  Maybe that's not a bad thing.  Every cloud has a silver lining.

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

maturity

I no longer remember where I read this, but it has become one of my favorite quotes.

"Spiritually mature people are those who have learned to set aside their own comfort and personal preference for the sake of the mission."

How do you deal with change?  How are you interfacing with the mission?  Is your life mission aligned with God's mission, or do you prefer something different?

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

church growth

I have two thoughts on church growth.  The first thing that is needed for your church to grow, is for the church to be doing the right things.  Good preaching, solid programs, strong missions, all taking place within a healthy culture.  The concept of healthy culture we will discuss another day.

If all of that is taking place, I believe that most churches will grow unless something gets in the way.  There are all kinds of things that can get in the way and be a barrier to growth.  If you don't have enough places to park, enough seats at the prime service times, if you don't have adequate access to your building, all of these will hinder growth.  Barriers must be removed, at any cost.

Sometimes folks ask me why growth is important at all.  The answer is that growth is about reaching people.  Humans.  Souls.  Jesus asked us to go and make disciples.  Not just enough so that we can pay the bills, not just enough that we feel comfortable, but to win everyone that we can, every time that we can.  That is our mission.  It is what Christians are supposed to be doing.

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

annoyed

I am annoyed.  Annoyed with myself.  Because, occasionally, for no particular reason, I get annoyed.  Over the smallest things, the dumbest things.  I can feel it coming on, and I try, but usually I cannot stop it.  Somewhere down inside, it is still about me, I guess.

Life is too good and life is too short to be bothered by the little things.  Don't sweat the small stuff.  I have to keep reminding myself of this.  An hour from now, I am going to be embarrassed because I allowed this thing to annoy me.

Keep at it.  Don't give up.  Today is another day.

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

Heartache

Since I spilled my guts yesterday, let me tell you something else.  What do people think of pastors?  Are they cool?  Boring?  Irrelevant?  Do they have an easy job?  Do they have a hard job?  Whatever people think about pastors, sometimes there is a lot of heartache.

When you have to visit with someone who had a terminal illness.  When you visit with someone who has a sick child.  When you visit with someone who is dealing with unfaithfulness or divorce.  When you have to bury those that you personally love, there is heartache.

I thank God that His shoulders are big.  Big enough to cry on.  I thank God that He is always there, always ready to comfort us.  He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

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

our pasts

Our pasts affect us.  Sometimes, what we do today is a result of what we have experienced in the past.  It's like if you see a dog that shies away from people, you wonder who beat him when he was a pup. With that said, I have something to share.

I spent a few years, during my formative years, in and around churches that practiced or delivered the following: 
1.   Heavy layers of guilt
2.  casting supposed demons out of people
3.  believing that they were [myself at the time] superior to non-believers and most other Christians.
4.  Everyone was expected to raise their hands during worship.
5.  No one could ever question the pastor.
6.  During prayer meetings, people would be literally pushed over so that they laid on the floor.
7.  Everyone was expected to come for the customary altar call. 
8.  If you did not receive Jesus in the prescribed manner, then you were told that you were not a true Christian.
9.  Spiritual gifts were to be exercised and put on display in a very specific manner.
10.  There was only one way to look at the second coming, and if you didn't agree with that, well, again, you didn't fit in.

Wow.  There I said it.  Is that a lot of baggage or what?  Does that explain a few things about why we do what we do?  Here is the end result of these experiences from my past for me/us today.

1.  I get very nervous when I see anything that smacks of manipulation at a church.  I have become a strong believer in the power of the Holy Spirit to illicit a response from someone without a pastor or worship leader forcing the issue.  In fact, some of my favorite stories of conversion happen to people away from the church and with no pastor present!
2.  I despise guilt.  Jesus didn't use it and it is a terrible motivator.
3.  I have become a big believer in the fact that we cannot press God into formulas, bullet points or little boxes.  He works with people in various ways and we cannot contain him or create the perfect recipe.  Those that try to do so always end up looking silly.
4.  I believe in complete honesty and full disclosure.  Whatever you want to know about our church, its programs, finances, and ministries, if you attend WCC, this information is available to you.
5.  I want our commitments to Jesus and our practice of the faith to come from a place of absolute, complete freedom, clarity and sincerity.

Sometimes the pain and craziness of our pasts help us to live a healthier today.  I hope this has been the case for me.

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

the best commitments

Commitments.  What are the best ones?  I suggest to you today that the best commitments are those that are made with complete clarity.  No pressure, no worries.  We choose to do what we do because we are deciding it on our own without any outside interference.  No manipulation, no tension.  We are choosing to do what we want to do because it is flowing out of who we are.

Somehow, I think that God is pleased with such decisions.  Clean commitments.

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

change

Prayer changes things.  Beware of those who think that prayer is going to change or manipulate God.  Prayer changes things, and I am the thing.  The whole point of prayer is that it draws me away from myself and closer to our Father.

Someone asked for the quote from Bob Fillmore- here it is.

"The Conversion of the Heart is a metamorphosis.

In the beginning we are indeed the subject and center of our prayers. 
But in God’s time and in God’s way a revolution takes place in our heart. 
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, there is a shift in our center of gravity. 
We pass from thinking of God as part of our life to the realization that we are part of His life. 
Mysteriously, God moves from the edges of our prayer experience to the center. 
A conversion of the heart takes place, a transformation of the spirit. 
It is a wonderful work of Divine Grace"

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

prayer

Someone asked that I post the prayer from the sermon on Sunday.  Here you go.

"Father, I thank you for the people in my life who seem to bring more pain than joy, for I believe you have let our paths cross for important reasons. Thank you for the good things you want to do in my life through the things that bother me.

I'm so glad that you are also working within me to make me more like Jesus -- more patient, more gentle, more loving -- through the very things that I dislike.  Amen."

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

wounds

The wounds we carry.  Someone hurt you.  Someone rejected you.  The betrayal of a friend.  We all have these hurts.  And, lets be clear- they hurt.  They really hurt.

It takes time to heal such wounds.  However, just because it takes time to heal such wounds, does not give us an excuse to ignore them or not work on them.  It does not give us an excuse to lash out at others because we are hurt.  It is never fair to hurt back.  We must also be careful about delivering collateral pain to others.  They are not guilty by association.

I hope that you will join me in the pursuit of forgiveness every single day of the year.  Those folks did hurt you, they did hurt me, but they are still loved by God.

Oh, yes.  There is God.  When I think of Him, I realize that I have to let Him be bigger than any hurts that come my way.  Jesus set the example.  "Father forgive them." 

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