Chiefs games

I guess that one of the biggest parties in Kansas City is the tail gate before every Chief's game.  I like to tell people that on game day, they can still come to the 8am or 905 service and still make the game on time.

They tell me that that they can't miss the tail gate party and that the party starts at 8am.

Let's all laugh at ourselves for a moment.  The rest of the year I can't get them to come out at 8am, but the Arrowhead parking lot can!  A good party is like that!

I know that you can watch online, but I think it makes a statement to yourself and your family when you make a collective effort to go to church before a chiefs game, or kids soccer game.

You can pray for the Chiefs.  Besides, that just might be the day that you hear something that really touches you.

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

bad drivers

I took this picture at the Oreillys on 40 highway near the old Blue Ridge Mall.

I would like to tell you that my wife did this, or that one of my kids did this, but no one is owning up to it.

Obviously someone did this.  My concern isn't that someone hit the pole.   I have backed into poles before.  We all have.  My question is this- how hard do you have to hit a pole to do this to it?

I would love to have seen the car.  I hope that the driver's worst injury was his or her ego.

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

honor

Russell Crow in Gladiator

Honor is an interesting word.  We can honor people or dishonor them.  To dishonor someone is to not appreciate the value that they bring to a situation.  To dishonor someone is to set aside the contribution that they have made in the past.

Enough on dishonor.  It is painful.

Let's talk about honor.  To honor someone is to love them.  To recognize them.  To call them a friend in front of others.  To introduce them to someone else as one of your favorite people. 

You cannot take honor to yourself.  Do you remember in the movie Gladiator when Russell Crow tells the Emperor that the time for honoring himself would soon some to an end?  Honor cannot be taken, it must be given.  Honor must come from someone else, so it is a gift for us to honor another person.

When was the last time you told someone what a good job they were doing?  You are a great employee.  You are a great boss.  You are a great kid.  You are a great neighbor.  You are a great wife.

You are a great ______.  I am so pleased to have you in my life.

To honor someone is to bless them.

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

Mine

It's mine!  That is what children say.  Those are my toys.  Give them back! 

Do you remember the seagulls in the movie Finding Nemo?  Over and over they said, "mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine...."

Someone asked me the other day about my ministry and my church.  [Now, I love this church and I love being here] but I told them, it is not my church, it is your church.  If you are a member here, it is your church.  I am an employee.  Now, I like being an employee, but it is your church.  Pastors come and go.

And my ministry?  It is not mine.  I am pleased to be engaged in the ministry of Christ.  It is his ministry not mine.

Love your church and take ownership my friend! It is yours!

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

Labor Day

Labor Day came and went.  It was supposed to be a day free of labor.  Ha ha.

We are trying to get the house ready to sell.  I made the mistake of going to Lowes and buying a new storm door.  The old one was peeling and the handle was broken.  The new door was advertised as "installs in half the time."

It took me six hours.  I didn't get much resting in on Labor Day. 

By the way, the Brinkmans are looking to downsize.  We are not leaving town.  Does anyone have any moving boxes that they don't want?

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

a happy heart

Sunset in the Ozarks

My daughter went to the lake a few weekends ago.  She was on some friend's boat, floating around, catching up with her buds and enjoying life.  The things that you are supposed to do when you go to the lake.

 She sent me this picture with the caption, "Dad- In case you need some of God's work for your sermon on Sunday, here you go.  Thinking of you."

How absolutely thrilled I was, on several fronts. 
1.  My daughter recognized God's work in the beauty of creation. 
2.  My daughter knows that I struggle w sermon material.
3.  My daughter was thinking of me- when she was out with her friends.

It doesn't get any better than that!

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

4 things

I am sure I have posted this before, and I know I have mentioned it in sermons, but it is on my mind again, so someone may need to hear it.

Ira Byock wrote a book about dying well.  In the book he mentioned the four things that a person should think about and say to others when they themselves are dying.

1. I'm sorry - please forgive me
2. I forgive you - it's ok
3.  I love you.
4. Thank you.

Later, he realized that this is how we should treat each other all the time.  These are the things that we should say to each other all the time. This isn't just how we should die, it is how we should live.  So he wrote a book for the living, called The Four things.  Subtitle: a book about living.


I'm sorry.  I forgive you.  I love you.  Thank you.

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

more on things

pennies on the dollar

B.J. Thomas sang, Using things and loving people, that's the way, it ought to be.  More on things today. 

I volunteer at the Hillcrest Thrift Store.  One of the things that I find interesting is that some of the stuff that we all just used to crave, now goes for pennies on the dollar.  $30 tie? 50 cents.  $900 tube TV?  $2.  $1400 table and chairs?  $40.   What does that say about our values?

Our attachment with things can get us in trouble with people.  Things will come and go.  That wonderful new car is going to be an old piece of junk pretty soon.  The most valuable things in a person's life are not the stuff that you own, but the people that you know.

Love them.  Hug them.  Look them in the eye and say thank you.

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

things - stuff

When I was young, I wanted things.  Well, I still want things, but not in the same way.  When I was young, I wanted a house- a great house.  I wanted TVs and surround sound.  I wanted furniture, cool furniture.  I wanted shoes and tools and motorcycles and cool cars.

All those things are nice, but I just d
on't feel it like I used to.  I actually feel a joyful victory when I keep driving my 10 year old car or when I find a discarded something at a thrift store and make use of it in my life.

Life is more than the things that we possess.  You can't take it with you.  Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul?  People are more important than things.

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

all around you

I have a friend who is very interested in helping people.  This is great!  The interesting thing to me about the new direction of their life is that they have just recently noticed the needs of others.  They came upon this awakening, because they themselves went through a time when they needed help.

We are such interesting creatures.  We usually don't see a need, until we have experienced it. We can watch people go through something, and not "get it" simply because we have never walked in their shoes.  But once we have experienced a thing, we become much more compassionate towards those who deal with it.

Compassion is always good.  The guy in this picture has no family.  In this life, we have the chance to be family to those who have no family.  May we humans learn compassion for all, even those who deal with things that we don't understand.  I would rather help one time too many, and be taken advantage of,  than one time not enough, and leave one of God's children in want.

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

grace vs guilt

I used to be a big believer in guilt.  After all, I was raised on it.  Somewhere along the line, I heard the message of grace, and I bought it.  Part of the reason that I flocked to grace, is that I saw how much I was hurting people with guilt.

I know pastors whose messages are all about guilt.  Who is good, who is bad, who is in, and who is out.  I always want to ask, "where is the love?"  [now you are going to have that Roberta Flack song stuck in your head!]  I have watched good people join those churches and I wonder why.  I think some people like rules and I think some people like an authority figure to tell them if they are ok.  People are just not used to grace.

Maybe someday, when people see the damage that guilt does, they will choose love instead.  Jesus never browbeat anyone into following him.  Love is so much more constructive, so much more effective, and so much more healthy. 

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

make it right

When I was a kid, my Dad taught us that we should take care of other people's things better than we take care of our own.  Return what you borrow from someone else in better condition than you borrowed it.

If you break your neighbors rake, you buy them a brand new one.  If you use their vehicle, it comes back full of gas and clean.  If they give you tickets to t
he Royals game, you make sure to thank them.

If you hurt someone's feelings, you do everything that you can to make it right.  An apology does not fix everything, but it can go a long way to healing a relationship.  Arrogance never serves us well.  If you owe someone an apology, deliver it.  You will be glad that you did.

Any impact that we have on another person should leave them better off than they started.

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

Kindness

Ahh, the power of kindness.  In a world where so many people are rude and self-absorbed, kind people are a breath of fresh air.

After dealing with several negative issues over the past few weeks, I was so pleased to get several kind emails.

I am not a note writer.  If you get a note in the snail mail from me, it is rare indeed.  I have terrible handwriting, and writing notes is just not my strong suit.

But, oh, what a joy it is to get a kind word.  Whether in person, in the mail or email, a kind word is such a blessing.  You have great power to positively impact the life of another, simply by being kind.

It is not that hard, it does not take that much effort, but oh, the blessed effect of kindness.

The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,
    and their lips promote instruction.^[c]

²⁴ Gracious words are a honeycomb,
    sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.  Prov 16:23-24

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

arguments

Some arguments cannot be won.  Some arguments are not worth having.  Sometimes the negative energy generated and the time consumed with an argument is not worth it.


As much as I would like to heal the world and everything in it, a person can only do so much.  People have to want to get better.  People have to want to play well with others.


We are obligated to do what we can do, but sometimes you come to a place where you just have to let it go and learn to live with it.  Not every problem can be resolved, and that is ok.  God is still with us and life is still good.


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

Awakenings pt 2

Following yesterday's post I have another thought from the movie "Awakenings."


In the movie, Leonard Lowe is a boy who became catatonic and lived this way for years.  When given an experimental drug, he came out of it.  He saw a life that he had been completely missing.  He saw the beauty of colors, of people and the sky.  He felt the wind on his face and the touch of a friend.


He was amazed.  In one of my favorite scenes he tells Robin Williams this:


You read the newspaper. What does it say? All bad. It's all bad. People have forgotten what life is all about. They've forgotten what it is to be alive. They need to be reminded. They need to be reminded of what they have and what they can lose. What I feel is the joy of life, the gift of life, the freedom of life, the wonderment of life!  We've got to tell everybody. We've got to remind them. We've got to remind them how good it is. 


Have you forgotten how good it is?  We have to remind each other.  We have to tell each other.  We have to tell everyone that we can.


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

why?

How we look at life is so important.  It is human nature to ask, "why me?"  We often ask this when things that we perceive as bad happen to us.


One of my favorite movies is "Awakenings" from 1990 with Robin Williams.  Part of the story line is about a boy who becomes sick.  In one scene his mother says this:


When my son was born healthy, I never asked why. Why was I so lucky? What did I do to deserve this perfect child, this perfect life? But when he got sick, you can bet I asked why! I demanded to know why! Why was this happening?


Instead of asking why something is wrong, maybe we should ask our selves things like this:  Why can I see?  Why does my spouse love me?  Why can I think straight?  Why do I have friends?  Why was I born in America?  Why do I have enough food?


How we look at life is so important.


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

a reminder of what this blog is about - -

Occasionally I get comments or complaints that this blog is not serious enough.  Some think it is not funny enough.  Others want it to be more personal.  I am sorry but I can't promise any of that.  I am not an entertainer, and sometimes, I don't feel spiritual.  Do you always feel spiritual?  What I simply strive for every day is to write about something that is on my mind.  I hope that is enough, because I don't have anything else to offer.  I have never been able to make people happy that wanted Super-Pastor.  I am just Jeff.  That is why in the side bar of the blog web page I have this disclaimer in purple:

This blog is the occasional ramblings of Jeff Brinkman, a United Methodist Pastor.  When Jeff cannot post, some of his buds take over.  This blog may or may not inspire, may or may not be humorous, but will always be honest.  This blog is Jeff's attempt to remind himself and others that God is greater than anything, and if we just look hard enough, we can see the good in life, and if we slow down and listen, we can hear the birds sing.

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

dysfunction

Dysfunction is when something does not work right.  It is broken.  Sometimes you have to use a broken pencil, wear holy shoes or drive a car that is on it's last legs.  But when there is dysfunction in relationships, everyone hurts.

It never gets any better until we do something about it.  Confrontation is difficult, but we never move toward health until we do the hard work to make a change for the better.  Some people settle for dysfunction, and the result is an unhealthy broken organism, relationship or work place.

Thriving organizations do not let dysfunction derail them from their mission- they deal with it and get back on track.  Everyone has problems.  Healthy people deal with their problems and get back into the game of life.  They may have to keep working on things, but that is exactly what they do- they keep working on things, striving towards healthy living.

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

how the mind works

It is Sunday morning at 5:45.  I have parked the car at church in the pitch black, way out in the north 40.  We always ask staff and anyone that is going to be at church a long time to park out farther so visitors can park close.

Did I say it was pitch black?  It is 100 yards to the main building.  I have just started the walk across the parking lot when a car comes racing around the building, weaving between the islands.  Looks like teenagers.  Its a joy ride.

How the mind works....

They see me, look, and start to slow down.  My mind says, "uh oh, this is trouble."  They are after me.  They will catch me before I can get to the building.  They will beat me and gut me.  It will be one of those moments when I am trying to get my key to work in the door and they are coming closer and closer.  Maybe I can at least get into range of the parking lot cameras so that someone could know what has happened to me- and on Sunday morning! Poor preacher!

The car makes a u-turn and whips around at the youth building.  Yikes.  My worst fears are going to come true.  I pick up my step.  I watch the car, expecting it to race towards me at any minute. 

Then the church custodians get out of the car and walk up the sidewalk to clean the youth building.

All is well.  I am safe.  How the mind works.

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

connecting fair

Once a year we have a Connecting Fair at church.  This is a chance for you to visit booths that have information  about all the ministries available at Woods Chapel.  There will be worship and a sermon as usual, but if you are looking for a place to fit in, today is your day to find a ministry fit and meet some new friends.  Look for the tables set up in the foyer.

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

can't sleep

This does not happen to me very often, but I am wide awake and it is the middle of the night.  I am asking myself why.  What is going on with my body?  With my brain?  The sermon is in pretty good shape, I am not worried about that.  I have a song stuck in my head from the movie Pitch Perfect, but I don't think it is keeping me awake.  Nothing on my old carcass hurts.  Not sure why I can't sleep, but here I am.

Maybe there is a tremor in the force.  You know, one of those odd things, almost a spiritual thing that just seems to reach in and grab you some times. 

I am thinking about my sister.  Not sure why.  I guess I will call them both tomorrow and make sure they are ok.

Sometimes in life things aren't perfect.  If there is not a problem, there is sometimes a foreboding, a worry, a premonition.  Who knows?  Or it might just be the pizza I ate last night.  Except I didn't eat pizza.  I hope I can take a nap this afternoon.

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

sin

If any one sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  1 John 2

Yes we do it.  We all sin.  We all miss the boat.  We all fall short.  Usually we do it by accident or by negligence, but sometimes we know what we are doing and we do it anyway.  Sometimes we are just small.

The gospel is good news.  When we mess up, we can make things right.  We have the wonderful opportunity to confess our sins and be forgiven.  If you are reading this today and feeling badly for something that you have done, that does not have to be the end of the story.  It does not have to dominate your day.

God is in the business of forgiveness and he has a generous heart that is extended towards you.  Simply ask and you shall receive.

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

love

After yesterday's post, someone asked if I thought my parents were ever in love.  I know that I can speak to this and that my sisters would agree, because we have talked about it many times.

If love means staying with someone through thick and thin, then they did.  If love means providing for a family's physical needs, then they did.  If love means taking care of your spouse when they are dying, then my Dad sure did.  We know that later in life they enjoyed taking trips together:  Hawaii, New England, canoeing, and such.

But, they never ever had a date night.  They always went to bed at different times of the night.  They never closed the door to their bedroom.  They never smooched in front of us.  They were both born in the middle of the depression.  They grew up in very difficult circumstances.  Their upbringing was hard, and their tenor in life reflected that.

With that said, from some people in this life you learn how to do a thing.  From other people you learn what not to do.  You can learn something from everyone.  Sometimes we are a reflection of what we were taught and sometimes we are a reaction to what we were taught. 

Back to love.  Pat S said in a sermon last year, that being thankful does not count if you don't say thank you.  I would add to that, loving someone does not really count unless you tell them.  How would they even know if you loved them?

So, today, if you love someone, tell them.  And tell them like you mean it.  You just might make their day.

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

Mom

cover of picture folder

My sister gave me a couple of boxes of old pictures.  They had things that my Mom had saved.  Scrapbooks, high school letters, mementos of vacations gone by, and many pictures that I had never seen before.




Inscription

Evidently my Mom was in love before she met Dad.  We never knew this. She never spoke of it.  There were several pictures of her with someone named Art.  I am attaching photos today of them together at a place called the Black Forest restaurant in St. Louis.  It used to be a very cool place to eat.  Swanky.  They had this picture taken as a memento- It came in a very nice cover, much like what you would get if you had your picture taken at the prom.


I find it interesting that in the back ground of this picture at this "very nice" restaurant you can see that the chairs are old and beat up and they do not match.  You would never see something like this at the Hereford House today.  I think the expectations were a little lower back then.



I am still trying to get my mind around the number of pictures of Mom and Art.  What happened?  What if it would have gone differently?


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

pain

I read this somewhere......

"Leaders don't inflict pain, they bear it."  I would add to that:  healthy people don't inflict pain, they bear it whenever possible.

Bearing pain puts an end to the cycle of retribution.  When we decide not to hurt back, we take the high road and begin the process of forgiveness.  On the cross Jesus said this:  "Father forgive them...."  He said this after he was put on the cross...... Father forgive them...

Today instead of hurting back, absorb the pain.  Take it in.  I know it may not be fair, but it may be just what is needed to heal the breach.

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

Robin Williams part 2

My initial reaction to Robin's suicide was deep sadness and a disbelief that someone who made movies about waking up to life, could take his own.




Well, now we find out that in addition to struggling with depression his entire life, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's.  One of the symptoms of Parkinson's can be severe depression.  So pile that onto a lifelong struggle with depression.




Someone made a very astute comment the other day that I have also been thinking about.
  Here it is.........

I don't think that because he killed himself it means he didn't see the good in life. One can be grateful and thankful and still be depressed. They are not mutually exclusive. Depression is a a very serious illness that can be devastating to live with.

I agree with the writer and it is again an illustration of how my perspective isn't always right.  We have to keep an open mind.  We are not as smart as we think we are.  At least if our minds are open we can keep learning and growing.


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

we think we know

We think we know.  We make up our minds about something.  Then we find out we didn't know the whole story.  Sometimes just one little bit of information can change how we view a thing.


My dad used to say, "the older I get, the less I know."  What he meant was that the older he got, he realized that there was so much that he did not know.  Things are sometimes complicated and not nearly as black and white as we had thought.


Maybe that is why Jesus said, "judge not."  By the way, you are all invited to visit Jesus at his house today.


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

from a friend

In response to Robin Williams’ suicide, a friend shared these thoughts-

And the most important things to remember are:

1)      You do not walk alone…  God is always with you and if you’re a member of this church – you have friends, too

2)      Tomorrow will be another day and things can get better.  There is always hope.

I think that people who commit suicide feel there is no hope – how sad.  With God – all things are possible – and if you give it enough time – God will work things out.

I have to wonder how many people have committed suicide – but would have chosen not to – if they had just waited a day.  The sun would shine.  The birds would fly.  God’s good would be revealed and they might have changed their minds.

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

 

12 step group

Twelve step groups help people who are addicted to a particular thing.  The support group helps them to break out of destructive behavior and return to a real life.

Bill Easum in his book Leadership on the Other Side, suggests that churches need a 12 step group so that they can learn how to change with the times.

Churches need a 12-step group for those addicted to old forms.  '"Hi, my name is Bill.  I attend this church because I know it is the one place in my life where nothing is ever going to change." pg. 38

How funny, yet how true.  if there is anything that we know about God, he is always asking us to change, to leave our old ways and find the path of life that is the most effective.  Are you comfortable with change?

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

if you would only agree with me

Two ways to think:

The first is the thinking of someone who has a closed paradigm. 
If you would only agree with me, things would be going so much better!  Why do people disagree with me?  Don't they know that I am right?

The second way of thinking is from someone who has an open paradigm.
Is there something about the way that I am coming across that is not the best approach for this situation?  What is it about what I am doing that is messing this thing up?  What can I learn from others in this process?

The outcomes of both ways of thinking are predictable.  Which kind of person do you want to be?  One who learns or one who knows it all?

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

Robin Williams

How could Robin Williams take his own life?????  I loved most of his movies.  He was Patch Adams.  He was the doctor in the movie Awakenings.  He seemed to surely understand the importance of seeing the good in life.

It makes me sad.  It makes me wonder, why, how?  We know he struggled with depression.  I don't understand, but I do insist that we do not have to follow his lead.

Life is good.  Life is great - No matter what is going on in a person's life.  You want to talk about problems?  I have mine, and I could bring you to tears talking about them.  But no.  NO.  We must live.  L-I-V-E live.  Your life, it is a wondrous gift from our Father.  Never forget that.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN GOD'S WORLD, BE SURE TO SEE THE GOOD.

refine or define

This quote, sent by a friend, reminded me of the challenge of seeing the good.  Is life a problem, or is my attitude about life the problem? 

One of my favorite authors says something that I both love and hate...... "if you have a problem with someone, then you have a problem."  The point of that saying is that so often we blame others and see the source of our discomfort as coming from others, when in fact we have much more control over our actions and responses than we might think.  I love it because it challenges me, I hate it because it is so very difficult and it forces me to take responsibility for myself.  As my mother would have said, no one makes you mad, you choose to be mad.

Refine or define.  What are you allowing the things that come to you in this life to do to you?

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

squeamish

Squeamish.  There are some things that make me feel that way.  Spiders.  Snakes.  Poison Ivy.  I had to cut down some poison ivy over the weekend.  I hated every minute of it.  I have taken 28 showers since I did it.  Pray that I won't break out.

The feeling of being squeamish is so human.  It stops us in our tracks and reminds us that we are not large and in charge, we are broken and human.

What makes you squeamish?

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

church

What is it about being in church?  For some reason, I just feel close to God when I am there.  Is it because so many prayers go up from there?  Is it because there are so many good people there?  Is it because there are so many sinners looking for hope there?

I don't know why- but I feel more forgiven when I am in church.  I feel closer to God.  When there is a national catastrophe, just like everyone else, I want to go to church.  Say what you will, church is an amazing place.

Most of the greatest people that I have known in my life, I met at church.

I hope to see you at ours this morning.

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

time share

Have you ever stayed at a time share for a free trip and had to listen to their sales pitch?  You are a captive audience and it is very high pressure.

Recently I heard a pastor talking about how they got their children to make decisions for Jesus.  It sounded a bit the same as the time share pitch.  Stuck in a room with no opportunity to leave, with no idea what is coming, the children are goaded, guilted, and manipulated to choose Jesus.  Then later the adults have a big party celebrating their success for the gospel.

The problem is this:  The best decisions are never made under duress.  I want everyone to choose Jesus, but never under pressure or threat.  Jesus never pressured anyone.  God's love and grace is quite effective enough at winning people.  It sells itself.  When the glory of God's amazing love is held out, people will choose him of their own accord.

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

choice

It's a choice.  I choose my response.  I choose my attitude.  My mom used to say, "no one makes you mad, you choose to be mad."  My favorite author used to say, "if you have a problem with someone, then you have a problem."

We all have our issues and our stories.  Something is bothering you this week.  Me too.  How will we respond?  It's our choice.

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

Pastors

My friend Joy posted this on facebook. 

I appreciate your prayers very much.

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

redwoods

Many of you know that it has been a real blessing to me to visit the redwood forests in California.  Well, actually, we cut most of the redwood forests in the 1800's.  What we have today are mostly preserves or redwood parks.  Pockets of them, here and there, that a few foresighted people were able to save.

Anyway, I try to go every year to a camp in the redwoods.  I take a pile of books and try to digest the books and renew my spirit.  The redwood forest is really an amazing place.  Being in it is much like sitting by a fountain, a fire, or the beach.  The place speaks to a person's spirit.  I have recommended the journey to so many, and I have asked my family to scatter my ashes there.

A friend of ours is out in the forest now, and from the pictures and the notes, they are finding the soul of God, as I always do when I get to go.

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

God's creatures

We were driving home last night about 8pm.  We were 2 blocks from home.  My wife said, look at the deer.  I pulled off, turned around and got a good angle to take a picture. 

What a beautiful sight!  We should always stop and take a few moments to take in God's amazing miracles.

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

getting used to a thing

There is a sin that I have noticed lately.  It is what happens when we get used to a thing.  We are so used to having professional baseball in Kansas City, we don't appreciate it.  We are so used to living with air conditioning that we take it for granted.  We are so used to our spouse, so accustomed to them being there that we no longer see the miracle in them.

We have a great job.  We used to love it, but then we started to take it for granted.  We are not so excited about the new car as when we first brought it home.  The new toy has been put down for something else.

My parents had nothing growing up, so they were pretty appreciative of everything their entire lives.  When we get used to a thing and stop seeing it's value, I think that is sad.  It is a very un-spiritual state that we have fallen into.

There is only one remedy.  We must wake up!  We must see what is right in front of our faces.  We must force the scales to fall from our eyes and see what God has done around us.  Don't allow yourself to get used to a thing.  Live every day with wonder.

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

I was glad

Ps 122 says, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord.

This is exactly how a person should feel about the chance to go to church.  Not every person around the world can worship freely.  Christians are persecuted in many countries.

Today, I get to go and hang out with a bunch of wonderful people.  I get to sing the songs of joy and hopefully hear a good message.  I get to love and be loved.  I get to be challenged to be more than I am.

I hope that you are glad about going to your church.

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

memory lane

with my sister Julie - 1962?

A month ago my sister gave me two boxes that she had kept in her basement unopened, since Dad died.  They sat in my car until yesterday.  I opened them finally and found a treasure trove of pictures.

Mom as a child.  Mom in high school.  Mom with the boy she almost married but didn't.  [Wow was that a surprise!]
 Us kids as little ones.  Vacations that we remembered, but had no pictures of.  Pictures of my children that we had never seen.  Pictures of vacations that mom and dad went on by themselves after we were gone.

Happy, sad, melancholy.  They lived.  They had their dreams.  They went on to their eternal rest.  It seems so unfair.  But let me say this:  In many of the pictures, they were happy.  They were young and happy.  They were old and happy.  There is something to say for that.

Don't be in a big hurry friends.... it all goes by so quickly.  Seize the moment.  Live the day.  See the good.

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

Leadership Nuggets

•          Everyone is a leader.  You are leading people somewhere.  Where are you taking them?

•          A leader has an intrinsic sense of right and wrong, an intrinsic sense of the appropriate course to take.

•          A leader listens to others.

•          A leader considers all possible information and acts accordingly.  Sometimes quickly, sometimes patiently.

•          A leader sees the big picture, he or she knows when something seems big, but is really barely a blip on the radar screen.

•          A leader shapes the culture.

•          A leader surrounds himself or herself with those who will bring honor to the cause.

•          A leader does not compromise on honor, integrity or character.

•          A leader relates to the common man.  A leader is not better than others, but he/she leads from the respect that is given from the rank and file.

•          A leader celebrates the success of others.  Good leaders want everyone to win.

•          A leader knows that the only thing that we compete against is our own potential.

•          Leaders know what to say and how to say it.  They are not hateful or vindictive, they are gracious and kind.  Their speech is positive and it attracts others to them.

•          All leaders come and go.  They prepare for their departure 

•          A leader learns to deal with the pressure of leading.  This is no small feat.

•          A leader identifies not only good ideas, but embraces the systems that undergird them. 

•          A leader sees the big picture and does not simply live for today, but prepares for the future.

•          A leader grows to be comfortable wearing the mantle of destiny.

•          A leader leaves the world a better place than he or she found it.

 

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

needless worry

The other day I was worried about something that never came to pass.  That is how it usually goes with worry.  We worry over nothing.  We worry over what might be.  What a waste of time!

If the thing comes to pass that we have been worried about, we stop worrying then, and go into crisis management mode.  Again, worry is just a drain on today's energy.

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

why we baptize children

Sometimes people ask why we baptize children.  One reason that people ask this is because they have  been indoctrinated by pastors and churches that teach that baptizing children is a terrible thing.

There is a lot of information to consider when deciding on what to believe about this, and who shouts the loudest and who uses the most guilt should not affect your decisions.

Consider this:

1.  There is the weight of scripture.  The early church baptized children.  The Philippian jailer was baptized and his household.

2.  There is the witness of history.  Adult only baptism did not show up until the reformation.  For 1500 years the church baptized people of all ages.

3.  There is the practice of culture.  Children were baptized because their parents decided for them.  In the ancient world, individual decision was not valued in the way that it is today.  Fathers decided for their families.  It was a patriarchal society.  Parents decided what children would wear, what school they would attend, and what religion they would be.  Children were baptized.

4.  There is no evidence in the New Testament of children waiting until a later age to be baptized.  With the New Testament being written decades after Jesus' death and resurrection, there was plenty of time to see young people grow older and then be baptized when they could decide for themselves, but  there is absolutely no evidence of this in the Scriptures.

5.  Baptism is about God's action in the life of the believer.  The reformation tried to make baptism about your decision.  If you are old enough to decide, we want you to make a decision, but the big story of baptism is God choosing you, and God chooses everyone, not just adults.  Jesus said, make disciples of all nations and baptize them.  It is never qualified for adults only- God's grace and promise goes out to all people of all races, genders and ages.

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

rebaptism

Why we don't "rebaptize" people.  Or why Methodists do not baptize people who have already been baptized before.

First let me say that I do not speak officially for the entire Methodist church.  I don't think that will surprise any of you.  I am just me, but I think these views are pretty "Methodist."

When someone is baptized we believe that they are baptized into Christ, not into a local church or a denomination.  We accept all Christian baptisms.  It's not about us, it's about what God has done in your baptism.

If you were baptized, you don't need to be baptized again.  Once is enough.  Baptism is a sign of God's promise.  In adults, and in general, it is a sign of repentance.  God's promise does not go away if you backslide.  The concept of repentance does not change based on your behavior.

If we are baptized based on our faithfulness and desire to follow Jesus, then we better get baptized a lot.  If a person thinks that those who sin should be baptized again, all of us better get baptized every day - maybe even every hour.  I know a 25 year old that was baptized 5 times before he finally decided that there had to be more to the concept.  If instead, we believe that God is active in baptism, it does not need to be redone, even if we sin.  God doesn't change after all, and his commitment to us does not waver, even when we do.

Someone will say, "I don't remember my baptism."  Well friend, God does, and so do the people who stood with you at the time.  Baptism is a sacred act.  It's value is not based on whether or not we remember it or if we really understood when we were 8 months old, 8 years old or eighteen years old.  We learn much about commitment to Christ along the journey of this life.  We don't get rebaptized every time that we understand more.

To be rebaptized is to make baptism about us.  It is to say that God's promise did not count.  Baptism was God's idea and it only needs to be done once.  If you have been baptized, trust in Christ and remember the power of God at work in your baptism.  God never fails us and your baptism was a sign of that.

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

Hope

I was thinking the other day, about hope.  I think that people want hope.  Hope is looking past the difficult things and seeing a better day.  Hope brings joy.  It seems to me that people that give up on hope can grow cynical and bitter.

Some people hope in circumstances.  They say, "I hope things get better."  What happens if things don't get better?  We need something more than circumstances to hope for.  That is why believers put their hope in God.

When we hope in God, we always have hope, because he is always with us.  We may find our selves in a valley of shadows, but we always have hope because the Good Shepherd is with us.

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

layers

The other day I was going to touch up some paint on the house.  There was a little spot where the paint was peeling.  I got my paint and brush and went to knock out a five minute job.  When I got there though, I noticed that the board was squishy.  When I pulled that off, the wood behind it was squishy.  What began as a simple touch up job turned into an all day wood repair, caulk and paint day.

I got to thinking about people.  About how they reveal themselves to you in layers.  You might see a small hurt in someone.  If you sit down to listen, they may tell you much much more about what is going on inside of them.  We humans tend to reveal ourselves in layers- a little bit at a time.

Oh to have someone to trust!  Someone that you can tell your hurts to.  I encourage you to be that person to everyone that you can.  It can be hard to listen to the hurts of another, but oh how we all need people to talk with.

"Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you"   Ps 55:22

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

thought

John Maxwell wrote, "if we are growing, we will always be out of our comfort zone." 

Bill C, a friend of mine likes to say, "there are three kinds of churches: growing, stagnant and declining.  Each has their unique set of problems.  Which set of problems would you like to have?"

We have three values at our church:  Joy, authenticity and excellence.  Everyone loves joy.  Authenticity is usually a welcomed trait.  Excellence is what is so very difficult. 

Excellence demands that you call things to account.   That you push on toward a better tomorrow.  Excellence stays up with the times.  Excellence challenges the status quo.  Excellence pushes for the mission.  Those things are never easy, but healthy organizations must keep thinking about and focusing on excellence.

It is true of our lives as well.  If we would live excellently, we must keep trying to improve ourselves.

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

listening

My friend Pastor Lois asked the question: "if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear the noise, does it make any sound?"

She says, it depends on how you define sound.  If sound is defined as waves vibrating an ear drum, then no.  No sound is made because no ear drums are vibrated.

Now, you can say many things about that idea, but here is the next place that she went- God is always speaking, but no one hears the sound of his voice because our hearts are cold and our ears are closed.  What a sad thought!  The voice of our God is constantly calling out to us, but our spiritual ear drums never vibrate!

Oh, my friend.  What is going on around us that we are not aware of?  If spirituality is waking up, what is happening around you in the world that we need to wake up to?  What is God doing?  What is God saying?

Jesus says repeatedly, "whoever who has ears, let them hear."

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

a beautiful day?

My heart is filled with concern over the shooting down of the plane over Ukraine.  My heart is filled with concern over the general behavior and attitude of Russian leaders.  It reminds me of the cold war when I was a child.  My neighbors had a bomb shelter installed in their front yard.  We were always afraid of the Russians.  It is no fun to live with fear.

My heart is also filled with concern over what is taking place in Israel/Gaza.  It is a very complicated issue, but it is concerning none the less.  It is no fun to live with fear.

So here is my question.  Can it be a beautiful day when really bad things are happening in the world?  During WW2 did anyone write about what a beautiful day it was in God's world?  Did anyone say "be sure to see the good?"

While I don't want to be an ostrich and stick my head in the sand, while I don't want to ignore world events, we still have to see the good.  There must always be a reason to see the good.

If we can't strive to see the good when we are plagued by war, illness and poverty, what is the point?  Anyone can see the good when the sun is shining and the sky is blue.  I think that healthy people live life, L-I-V-E life even when things are bad.

There many be a lot of bad news but it is still a beautiful day in God's world,  be sure to see the good.

who is in?

Who is in?  Who gets to go to heaven?  I have heard people say that the Jews are out.  Yet Jesus refers to several of the Patriarchs as being in heaven.  Mt. 8:11.

I have heard people say that this group is out because they don't believe the Bible correctly.  That group is out because they did not get baptized correctly.

I have come to believe that God is probably much more gracious than we humans are.  That how ever many people I think are getting in, there will probably be more.  We will all likely be surprised by the presence in heaven of a certain person, and surely there will be those who are surprised to see us there as well.

I have become quite comfortable with telling people that I am not in charge of who gets in.  Neither are they and neither are you.  God decides who is going to get in and who is not.  Let's let God be God and lets just enjoy the journey of being human along the road of this life.

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

Do you believe?

Are you a Christian?  How does one know?  We have been told our entire life to choose Jesus, to say the sinners prayer.  For many it has become a transaction - a punch my ticket for heaven and I am in.

Thomas Keating suggests that "The fruits are the first indication of our transformation in Christ."  This means that the sign that you are a Christian is not that you said a prayer or came to the front or put a bumper sticker on your car, but the signs/fruit of the Christian are:

Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  May we all be praying for more of these characteristics to come to life in our daily transactions with others.

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

a cat that writes

Dash the Cat

My oldest daughter has a new cat named Dash.

My daughter was composing an email to a store that would not honor their sale price.  She left her computer on, and the email unsent open on her desk top, then she went out to dinner.  When she got home there was music playing from her computer and she noticed that the unfinished email was no longer there.

She looked around and discovered the email in the sent file........here is her unfinished, and cat edited email........

Hello Customer Advocacy:

 

Thank you for your e-mail.  I have been researching king size beds for quite some time now and was very pleased when I found the King Size Derby Bed listed for a reasonable price.  After researching similar beds and the composition of wood, I purchased the bed and my account was debited.  It i89@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@0o9o2oiiiiAZZZA2198 dash                      s unfortunate that you listed the price of this bed incorrectly.  I am sure I am not the only dissatisfied customer.  I understand you would like to remedy this issue in the future.  In lieu of not receiving this product which was on your website with an incorrect listed price, I wanted to know if I would be able to receive any discount for the bed or any sort of coupon for your site.  I understand mistakes happen, however, I have been researching king size beds for quite some time now and checked the price of the Derby Bed several times before I purchased the bed and the money was debited from my account.  As a former customer of Joss and Main, I think a discount or coupon for a bed

Alli Brinkman

She was suprised that the cat was able to turn the music on, add to the email, sign his name, and send it.  this is the part that Dash the cat added:

89@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@0o9o2oiiiiAZZZA2198 dash                     

That is one smart cat.  Funny.  Very funny.

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

los pinos

A friend from church was thinking about her life and our village in Nicaragua.  She had been reading the Los Pinos blog that Bill Carpenter writes.  She sent me this email.

Here is a link to the Los Pinos blog:
http://wccnicblog.blogspot.com

Here is her Email-

Hi Jeff,

I wanted to share some thoughts with you.

I have been reading the Los Pinõs blog and thinking about how the people there live.  Last night I was lying on my bedroom floor thinking the bed was kind of hard.  (I'm getting old.). And then I thought about the fact that I had a wood floor with carpet padding and carpet. The people in Los Pinõs have mud floors, as I understand. Then I thought about how I have a/c and heating and no bugs and no rain to deal with inside.  Not true in Los Pinõs.  Then, and this is the one that really gets me, I looked under my bed. I saw my dog all stretched out on her fluffy dog pillow, and it occurred to me that my dog is living so much more comfortably than those people.  My DOG is living better than them!!!!  Wow!  It makes me feel guilty for thinking I ever wanted more.  What a blessing and upgrade the new housing is going to be for the village.  I was thrilled to read they will be getting water in their new houses!  This is a great mission!  So glad to be a part of it. 

She continued later........what of plumbing and cooking and laundry!  And my bedroom is larger than the homes that they live in.  We are so blessed.

Yes dear friends, we are blessed.  And I don't want you to feel guilty, but I do want each of you to understand that we are stewards, not owners.  God has given us these blessings so that we can do his work.  Thank you for all the ways that you have generously engaged in the work of the Lord.

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

quote

A friend sent me this picture of TV's Fred Rogers with this quote:

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

the giving group

On November 5, 2011 - I posted this.........

Last week I wrote one day about how difficult it can be to ask folks to give. Part of the reason for that is that sometimes the responses that I get from folks can be pretty painful.

So, I have this dream that we create a club. A club of folks that don't mind if Jeff sends them an email from time to time and asks if they want to help with some project financially. A group of folks that see the joy in giving. They may not help with every request, but they at least are not offended by Jeff asking, and are glad to be a part of the team that makes special things happen.

Is there any body out there that would like to be a part of such a team? We do need financial help with projects from time to time, and I would love to have some folks that would welcome the opportunity to show leadership in this way.

I would send an email about this no more than once per month. Everyone is welcome, regardless of the size or ability of a gift. Let me know if you want to be on the team.

Here we are almost three years later.  The offer is still open. I said in November of 2011 that I would not send a request more than once a month.  I think I have sent two requests in almost three years.  I would hope that everyone would like to know about or be involved in the opportunity to help with special projects.  If you would like to join the giving group, please email me at jeffb@woodschapelchurch.org

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

new paint

Amy Bartlett, missions director

Oh the blessing of a new coat of paint!  Our new Missions Center building at 4201 NE Lakewood Way is getting a new coat of paint.  Very exciting!!  I am so appreciative of the volunteers who give their time to keep their church looking beautiful.

I find it personally rewarding to rake, mulch, paint, plant or do anything that makes a place look better.  If you like doing such things, let me know as there are always projects at church that help the place look better.



Ivan [yellow shirt in other picture]
Frank, Kent and Ralph are painting!

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



speculation

Beware of speculative theology. 


Speculative theology is a teaching based on one or two scripture passages.  Often you will find many divergent views around such topics, simply because people are making it up as they go along.  A hapax is a word that is included only once in a document or set of writings. 


An example of this in the Bible is "millennium."  The word itself is not in the Bible although a thousand year reign of Christ is mentioned in Revelation 20.  Books and books have been written on the topic when it is barely mentioned in scripture.


Now I certainly believe in the second coming, but people have spent years discussing the millennium and the second coming and for what?  They have wasted their lives speculating on future things instead of focusing on living life in the here and now.  That is the worst thing about speculation......... we waste our lives wondering and thinking about things that we can not know when we could have been living our lives centered around the main themes of the Bible like loving God and loving others.


I guess the second coming is more interesting to some people than living a life of love.  I find that sad.


But we don't have to live that way.  Set aside your second coming books.  Set aside your worries about the future and live life today.  We won't get another chance at it.  Today is our only chance to live the life of love today.


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

be careful what you eat

Just because someone tells you that something is good for you does not mean that they are right.  People will tell you all kinds of things.  Preachers tell people all kinds of things.  Not all of it is true.


1 John 4 says that we should test the spirits.  Is what you are being taught historically true?  Is what you are being taught rooted in the good news of the gospel or in fear?


I find it so interesting that if you tell someone something long enough, they will start to believe it.  You can tell them green is blue.  They will fight you for a while.  Their children won't and their grandchildren will believe that green has always been blue.


There are things that some churches teach that have been taught for 100 years so everyone swallows the stuff as if it has always been true, when the church goes back another 1900 years prior to the particular teaching!


Test the spirits.  Keep your paradigm open so that you can walk away from fabrication and walk towards the grace of God.


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

birthday card

A thought on seeing the good. 

I received a birthday card from a friend that said:  "Let's not worry about the mile markers of life, but while we're here, lets enjoy the wonderful scenery."  Happy Birthday.

I love it.

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