Well, once again, Thanksgiving has come and gone. This was not our ordinary Thanksgiving though. Today was full of normal stress & chaos, and some not so normal stress & chaos. Here is a time line of our day.
6:30 a.m. I wake to the sound of Ann on the phone (talking to Duke Energy) and I notice the electric is out.
6:35 a.m. Ann is off of the phone and we are told electric won't be on until 10:30 a.m.
7:00 a.m. Turkey should be going in the oven now, but still no electric.
9:35 a.m. Tension is high and Ann & I begin to argue. Still no electric.
10:35 a.m. We are now in "MacGyver" mode. We begin to cook the turkey on our gas cooktop. Still no electric.
11:00 a.m. ELECTRIC IS ON! Something to be thankful for.
1:15 p.m. Turkey is cooking. My family arrives. Electric is still on. Finally feeling normal.
2:15 p.m. WHAT THE? Electric is off again. Turkey is only half cooked. Haven't even started baking the side dishes yet.
2:35 p.m. Ann's family arrives. Ann's mom mentions they saw the electric company replacing a pole. Hope that doesn't take long.
3:00 p.m. ELECTRIC IS ON AGAIN! Please God, let it stay on. We have to eat at 4:00.
4:00 p.m. Electric is still on. Turkey is done! As well as all of the fixins. Time to eat!
4:15 p.m. Electric is still on. Grace has been said. People are eating. A lot to be thankful for.
5:00 p.m. Electric is still on. My family has to head back to Columbus.
6:00 p.m. Electric is still on. Football is done. I feel fat. Ann's family decides to leave.
Current time. I just finished a slice of pie and now I feel extremely fat. Time to rub my wife's feet and fall asleep on the couch. The Electric is still on, and this one is in the bag.
I just wanted to add, that I am very thankful for the folks at Duke Energy who sacrificed their day to respond to the call. I once had a position that required that of me. I was active with the US Air Force when my unit was called to Desert Shield/Storm back in 1991. It's people like that, we should be thankful for. We take so much for granted in this country, and the sad thing is that we think we deserve it. I was sitting on my couch thinking last night about all of the people in the world who don't have heat. Who don't have electric. Who don't even have family to gather with on a holiday, or any other day of the year. That, my friends, is a lot to be "Thankful" for. I fell victim to the stress of no electricity yesterday. I so very quickly forgot about those things that we take for granted. I so very quickly forgot about my trip to Honduras to serve those who have nothing. As I was sitting here with my kids, watching Charlie Brown on T.V., God was reminding me of all of these things. He was convicting me to do it better next time. And there will be a next time. There always is a storm on the horizon. Next time, I will be prepared. When I'm sitting here in the dark, I will be reminded of all that I take for granted and that I should be truly thankful for. Peace!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Church Is Not Church
O.K. We've all heard it said before, "church is not the building, but the group of believers that are in it". But lately, I've been discovering a whole new truth to that. And with that comes the realization of "who" and "where" the church actually is.
For me, it is community, fellow believers, and the body of the congregation. But it's also more than that. Let me ask a question before I explain. Do you realize that most of the stories of Biblical figures met God outside of the church? Moses met God in the form of a burning bush in the middle of a desert. David wrote most of the psalms while camping under the stars. Even Jesus did most of His teaching outside the four walls of a church. John Eldredge touches on this in his books.
I have been making a lot of effort to get outdoors lately, no matter what the weather. I recently blogged about a camping trip that I took last month with my oldest son in Michigan. When we found that clearing that lead us down to the lake, I felt as if God had provided that path to show us something. I know that it was hard for my son to grasp that concept, but for me it was evident. God wanted to be alone with us. We just sat there on the bank while the cool breeze came across the lake to gently kiss our faces. I got it. God was romancing us. It was refreshing and calming. It was church outside of church. So I sat there and enjoyed the moment. A moment of conversation with my first born. A moment of tranquility. A moment alone with our Father.
God created the world with all of it's splendor and glory. He created man (Adam) out in the wilderness. It's as if we were meant to be out there in the wild. That is where we are tested. That is where our ancestors lived. It's where they did life and had community together. It's where messages were taught. It's where we can go to get away from all of the noise. That's where we will find God. I encourage you to take an hour or two, to go hiking or just find a quiet place outdoors. Somewhere you can sit and be all alone. And listen! I guarantee you will hear Him. Being out in the very nature that He created and hearing His Words for me, is a form of church. It is a beautiful and inspiring experience.
For me, it is community, fellow believers, and the body of the congregation. But it's also more than that. Let me ask a question before I explain. Do you realize that most of the stories of Biblical figures met God outside of the church? Moses met God in the form of a burning bush in the middle of a desert. David wrote most of the psalms while camping under the stars. Even Jesus did most of His teaching outside the four walls of a church. John Eldredge touches on this in his books.
I have been making a lot of effort to get outdoors lately, no matter what the weather. I recently blogged about a camping trip that I took last month with my oldest son in Michigan. When we found that clearing that lead us down to the lake, I felt as if God had provided that path to show us something. I know that it was hard for my son to grasp that concept, but for me it was evident. God wanted to be alone with us. We just sat there on the bank while the cool breeze came across the lake to gently kiss our faces. I got it. God was romancing us. It was refreshing and calming. It was church outside of church. So I sat there and enjoyed the moment. A moment of conversation with my first born. A moment of tranquility. A moment alone with our Father.
God created the world with all of it's splendor and glory. He created man (Adam) out in the wilderness. It's as if we were meant to be out there in the wild. That is where we are tested. That is where our ancestors lived. It's where they did life and had community together. It's where messages were taught. It's where we can go to get away from all of the noise. That's where we will find God. I encourage you to take an hour or two, to go hiking or just find a quiet place outdoors. Somewhere you can sit and be all alone. And listen! I guarantee you will hear Him. Being out in the very nature that He created and hearing His Words for me, is a form of church. It is a beautiful and inspiring experience.
Breathing
Last night, as I was falling asleep, I was listening to my breathing. I noticed that I was taking long, deep breaths. And then I started to wonder; what would my last breaths be like? I don't mean to sound morbid. Will they be relaxed breaths? Will it be hard to breathe? Will I be in a panic, gasping for air? Only God knows the answer to these questions.
Job 12:10 In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
About three years ago, I decided to take up bicycling. A couple of friends of mine invited me to do a ten mile loop (on a local street) with them. Only one of us was properly equipped with the right kind of bike because he had been doing this for a while. The other two of us had old mountain bikes. I thought for sure that I could do this because I considered myself to be in pretty good shape. So, we headed out. About two miles into the ride, I was done. I could go no further, and yet, I still had to ride the two miles just to get back. It was a combination of riding a mountain bike with big knobby tires and improper gearing, and my inadequate level of cardio ability that prevented me from going any further. I purchased a new road bike and hit the streets as much as I could. I became addicted to the sport but I noticed that I was still struggling with my breathing. The slightest inclines presented a challenge for me, and I could not catch my breath. I would get extremely light-headed and I felt like I was going to black out. I was literally fighting for air. I made a visit to my family doctor who diagnosed me with EIA (Exercise Induced Asthma). In EIA, the muscle bands around the airways are sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity and react by contracting, which narrows the airway. Fatigue, tightening of the chest, wheezing and shortness of breath are all of the symptoms that I was experiencing. My doctor prescribed me an albuterol inhaler to use when I expose myself to prolonged exercise. And what do you know, it worked! I am not Lance Armstrong by any comparison, but now I can ride my bike for a good thirty or forty miles without having to fight for air.
Job 9:18 He would not let me regain my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.
After the thoughts of how I wound spend my last few breaths, I began to thank God for the air that I breathe. We don't even deserve it, but He gives it to us anyway. It is a gift! When I am given a gift, I cherish it. I try to use that gift to my best ability. So, in honor of receiving this gift, I am trying to do everything that God is asking me to do. Loving Him and worshipping Him above all.
Genesis 2:7 The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The air that I breathe fills my heart with oxygen. Without oxygen, the heart is a useless muscle. My heart is vital to my existence and to my relationship with God. It is my heart that allows me to feel and hear God. I often ask God to break my heart with the things that makes His heart break. And He does. An example of this would be the compassion and love that I have for my brothers that are in my men's group. We meet every Tuesday to worship the Lord, share our struggles, pray for each other and just have community together. When one of us is feeling broken, it breaks my heart. It is then that the Lord empowers us to breathe new life into each other.
Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.
Job 12:10 In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
About three years ago, I decided to take up bicycling. A couple of friends of mine invited me to do a ten mile loop (on a local street) with them. Only one of us was properly equipped with the right kind of bike because he had been doing this for a while. The other two of us had old mountain bikes. I thought for sure that I could do this because I considered myself to be in pretty good shape. So, we headed out. About two miles into the ride, I was done. I could go no further, and yet, I still had to ride the two miles just to get back. It was a combination of riding a mountain bike with big knobby tires and improper gearing, and my inadequate level of cardio ability that prevented me from going any further. I purchased a new road bike and hit the streets as much as I could. I became addicted to the sport but I noticed that I was still struggling with my breathing. The slightest inclines presented a challenge for me, and I could not catch my breath. I would get extremely light-headed and I felt like I was going to black out. I was literally fighting for air. I made a visit to my family doctor who diagnosed me with EIA (Exercise Induced Asthma). In EIA, the muscle bands around the airways are sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity and react by contracting, which narrows the airway. Fatigue, tightening of the chest, wheezing and shortness of breath are all of the symptoms that I was experiencing. My doctor prescribed me an albuterol inhaler to use when I expose myself to prolonged exercise. And what do you know, it worked! I am not Lance Armstrong by any comparison, but now I can ride my bike for a good thirty or forty miles without having to fight for air.
Job 9:18 He would not let me regain my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.
After the thoughts of how I wound spend my last few breaths, I began to thank God for the air that I breathe. We don't even deserve it, but He gives it to us anyway. It is a gift! When I am given a gift, I cherish it. I try to use that gift to my best ability. So, in honor of receiving this gift, I am trying to do everything that God is asking me to do. Loving Him and worshipping Him above all.
Genesis 2:7 The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The air that I breathe fills my heart with oxygen. Without oxygen, the heart is a useless muscle. My heart is vital to my existence and to my relationship with God. It is my heart that allows me to feel and hear God. I often ask God to break my heart with the things that makes His heart break. And He does. An example of this would be the compassion and love that I have for my brothers that are in my men's group. We meet every Tuesday to worship the Lord, share our struggles, pray for each other and just have community together. When one of us is feeling broken, it breaks my heart. It is then that the Lord empowers us to breathe new life into each other.
Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Great Book!
I just finished reading "Fathered By God" by John Eldredge and I loved it. This book spoke more to me than "Wild At Heart", another one of John's writes.
The title says it all. Maybe our fathers abandoned us when we were young men. Maybe they were there, but never really played with us, or taught us anything. Some of us might have had abusive fathers. No matter what the situation, God is our perfect Father, and He wants us to be the men that He designed us to be.
John takes us through six stages of a masculine journey that shapes us as Godly men over the course of our lifetimes. Starting with Boyhood to Cowboy to Warrior to Lover to King to Sage. The Warrior and Lover stages spoke volumes to me, probably because those are the two stages that I am transitioning in at this current time of my life. I don't want to go into too much detail, because I want this to be a great and revealing read for somebody.
I just want to say that this book revealed a deeper love for my earthly father as well. I have held a lot of anger and hurt from some of things that occurred in my past. I know that he did not intend to make those mistakes, but we all do as fathers. Somewhere in the second chapter of the book, I broke down and wept. I called my dad immediately just to tell him that I love him, and I forgave him for any hurt that he caused me. It was an awesome moment.
If you are a man and a father, I would like to inspire you to read this book. Peace!
Monday, November 23, 2009
You & Me
Man, I love the Dave Matthews Band. This new song is beautiful! It reminds me of how much I love my wife. How I long to be with her. How we can do anything together. It makes me want to travel to the stars with her. And when the kids get older, we could teach them how to fly.
I remember when I first met her. She was my world. She still is. There's nothing in this world that I want to do without her. I want to travel to the end of the world with her, and we get there, we can look back and say "there is nothing we haven't done".
I tried to load the actual video to this song, but it can't be downloaded yet. This is the Saturday Night Live version. If you get a chance, go to youtube and watch the actual video. It's the one with him sitting in a room full of chairs.
And to my bride . . . you and me together, the two of us together, we can do anything.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.
The date and location of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention. The traditional "first Thanksgiving" is the celebration that occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621. The Plymouth celebration occurred early in the history of what would become one of the original thirteen colonies that became the United States. The celebration became an important part of the American myth by the 1800s. This Thanksgiving, modeled after celebrations that were commonplace in contemporary Europe, is generally regarded as America's first. Elementary school teacher Robyn Gioia has argued that the earliest attested "thanksgiving" celebration in what is now the United States was on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.
I just wanted to take some time to list of some of the things that I am most thankful for.
1. I am thankful that Jesus died on the Cross for me (us).
2. I am thankful for my wife and kids.
3. I am thankful for my brothers in Christ.
4. I am thankful for my family and friends.
5. I am thankful for my health.
6. I am thankful for the air that I breath.
7. I am thankful for the men and women in uniform, serving our country, both near and far.
8. I am thankful for my freedom.
9. I am thankful that I have an available source of food.
10. I am thankful for all of the stupid stuff that I have, that I really don't deserve to have, and that I should not be proud to own.
This is just a short list of some of the things that I am most thankful for. I am interested to hear what some of you are thankful for. Take some time and share. Have a good Thanksgiving.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Prayer Guide
I was reading a post about how to pray by one of my fellow bloggers and I thought that this would be good information to pass on. His name is Brian Branam and his blog is called "Feel My Faith". I have him listed as one of the blogs that I follow on my sidebar, feel free to click on his site and read some of his recent posts. I find them quite insightful.
Here is his post called "Prayer Guide":
Over the past few weeks I have been sifting through Dr. Gregory R Frizzell's book, Returning to Holiness, A Personal and Churchwide Journey to Revival. Here is an outlined gleaned from pages 78 - 81 on Five Practical Steps to a Powerful Daily Prayer Life. He lists five practical steps, I managed to stretch it into six.1) Make an absolute commitment to consistently spend significant time alone with God in uninterrupted prayer (Luke 11:1).
2) Approach your prayer time as a relationship with God rather than a required ritual (Luke 10:38-42).
3) Listen first (1 John 5:14-15).
4) Make a commitment to a balanced prayer life by regularly practicing the four different types of prayer (1 Timothy 2:1).
a) Praise, thanksgiving, worship
b) Confession and repentance
c) Petition and supplication
d) Intercession
5) In your daily petitions, focus more on issues of personal character and holiness than on temporal needs (Matthew 5, Romans 8:29, Galatians 5:22).
6) In your daily intercession, focus more on issues of evangelism and missions than on temporal concerns (Matthew 28:18).Develop a prayer list of:
a) Lost people
b) Key leaders and ministry strategies of the church
c) Key spiritual and government leaders in city, state, and nation
d) Mission strategies of our association, state, and convention.
e) Petitions for revival and awakening in our city.
I believe that I heard this same exact teaching as part of a message from a church that I once attended. It laid the foundation for and became a crucial part of my relationship with God. In Matthew 6:5-15, Jesus explains how we should pray. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. I love to wake up early in the morning, before the sun rises, and before anyone in my family rises. I have a great view of the eastern sky through my living room windows. I will sit and read some scripture, and then I close my eyes and begin to pray. The total silence in the morning is key here. God not only desires to hear from us, but He wants to speak to us as well (1 John 5:14-15). Having no distractions around is important. His voice is not usually a loud voice, but a whisper when He speaks to me. Sometimes He paints a picture in my mind. Sometimes He gives me a simple word. Sometimes He just holds me as we sit in total silence. And then I open my eyes and look to the east just in time for Him to show me another beautiful sunrise. It is the most important and best part of every day for me.
If you are not doing so already, I encourage you to take some time and look over this list (Prayer Guide). Then, find a quiet place, and get alone with God. Lift up your prayers and LISTEN. You will be rewarded. Peace!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
TRANSFORMERS
I was just sitting here thinking about how much I love the new series of "Transformers" movies. They are jam-packed with action, passion, adventure, a beauty to fight for, and of course all of the automotive toys.
But then I got to thinking about how we, ourselves, are all transformers and there is more to us than meets the eyes. What I mean is, we all have the ability to transform ourselves from something normal into something totally awesome. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being normal. But I would argue, that God has something "great" planned for all of us, and if we allow Him to do His work in our lives; then we all have the ability to become something great.
I have been on this journey for the past several months to discover the man that God has intended me to be. It has been a rough, yet rewarding journey. This journey has had it's fill of action, adventure, trials & tribulations. I have discovered so much about myself and my true potential.
In the sequel "Revenge Of The Fallen", Optimus Prime tells Sam Witwicky that they cannot defeat the Decepticons without him. At first, Sam denies his calling to be something great. He wants a normal life. He just wants to go to college and find his place in the world through a "normal" course of events. He soon realizes that he is not normal. His calling becomes so evident that he has no choice but to aid Optimus in the victory over the Decepticons. He has to dig down deep to find that warrior within himself. He has to transform himself into something extraordinary to get the job done. Optimus' own survival and the earth's existence depends on this.
So how does this fictional story compare to the true stories of our life? Who's existence depends on us? As a Christian, I would have to say that everyone I come in contact with benefits from my transformation. My wife, my children, co-workers, the guy at the gym. Anyone who struggles, anyone with questions, anyone with doubt. Those who believe, my fellow followers, my friends and pastor at church. Anyone and everyone can benefit from my transformation in Christ.
God has called me to rise to the challenge. He has invited me to go on this journey. It will challenge me. It will be an adventure filled with accomplishments and failures (we learn from our mistakes). It will bring out the inner warrior in me. It will reveal the "Man" that God intended me to be.
Will you accept the calling? Will you allow yourself to be transformed? Will you rely and trust God's plan for you? If you do, I guarantee that you will not regret it.
Now I just need to figure out how to get my car to turn into an awesome robot. Peace!
But then I got to thinking about how we, ourselves, are all transformers and there is more to us than meets the eyes. What I mean is, we all have the ability to transform ourselves from something normal into something totally awesome. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being normal. But I would argue, that God has something "great" planned for all of us, and if we allow Him to do His work in our lives; then we all have the ability to become something great.
I have been on this journey for the past several months to discover the man that God has intended me to be. It has been a rough, yet rewarding journey. This journey has had it's fill of action, adventure, trials & tribulations. I have discovered so much about myself and my true potential.
In the sequel "Revenge Of The Fallen", Optimus Prime tells Sam Witwicky that they cannot defeat the Decepticons without him. At first, Sam denies his calling to be something great. He wants a normal life. He just wants to go to college and find his place in the world through a "normal" course of events. He soon realizes that he is not normal. His calling becomes so evident that he has no choice but to aid Optimus in the victory over the Decepticons. He has to dig down deep to find that warrior within himself. He has to transform himself into something extraordinary to get the job done. Optimus' own survival and the earth's existence depends on this.
So how does this fictional story compare to the true stories of our life? Who's existence depends on us? As a Christian, I would have to say that everyone I come in contact with benefits from my transformation. My wife, my children, co-workers, the guy at the gym. Anyone who struggles, anyone with questions, anyone with doubt. Those who believe, my fellow followers, my friends and pastor at church. Anyone and everyone can benefit from my transformation in Christ.
God has called me to rise to the challenge. He has invited me to go on this journey. It will challenge me. It will be an adventure filled with accomplishments and failures (we learn from our mistakes). It will bring out the inner warrior in me. It will reveal the "Man" that God intended me to be.
Will you accept the calling? Will you allow yourself to be transformed? Will you rely and trust God's plan for you? If you do, I guarantee that you will not regret it.
Now I just need to figure out how to get my car to turn into an awesome robot. Peace!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Toby
This is Toby. He was our cat for 12 years, until about a half hour ago. You see, I just had him put to sleep, for no other reason than he was peeing all over the house.Right now, I feel like crap. I feel like I made a HUGE mistake. He didn't deserve that. Everyone told me that euthanizing him would be the most humane thing to do. That was the least humane thing that I have ever done. I took him to our local SPCA and that place felt like animal hell to me. There were dogs barking, cats meowing, people cussing, just complete chaos. I hated that place.
I found Toby when he was just a kitten. He was one of a litter of four that was living in our condo garage. I was able to capture one of his brothers and they both became our pets. We named him Toby because he was fascinated with feet. The only way that he would let us touch him, is if we allowed him to rub against our toes. He could do this and purr for hours.
One day, my wife and I decided to get the boys some collars. We put them on and immediately Toby fell to the floor. It was hilarious because he would fall to the side in a completely locked up standing position. He would lay on the floor in that position as if he was paralyzed. I would take the collar off, and he would spring to life as if nothing ever happened.
Toby used to love chasing beams of light up walls. I could shine a flash light and he would follow the reflecting spot every where. He could jump higher than the other cats which also was an advantage to him for chasing things.
Toby sat on my lap and purred the whole way to the SPCA. When I got there, I put him in a cage and took him in. They charged me $45 and gave him a shot. And that was it. I really loved Toby and regret what I just did. From now on, our pets will die of natural causes, no matter what kind of nuisances they are.
I hope that God will forgive me of the choice that I made today. My advice to anyone considering having a pet is that, they are animals. In spite of all of their flaws, it is easy to fall in love with them and it hurts when they are gone.
Rest in peace Toby. I'm sorry!Partners
Part of my daily routine for school mornings is to pick out clothes for my kids to wear. This is a challenge for me when it comes to my daughter. She doesn't wear girly clothes (skirts, dresses or leggings), so it's usually a pair of jeans and some sort of a t-shirt. I lay the clothes out on the floor next to her bed, and then I go to wake Dominick up.
On my way back downstairs, I always peek into Lanie's room to make sure that she is up and is getting dressed. On this particular morning, she didn't like the shirt that I had chosen, so she asked me to help her pick out a new one. Once we accomplished that, I opened her sock drawer, and we began to search through the salad of socks for a matching pair. I grabbed one sock and she says to me, "No dad, that one doesn't have a partner". I said, "you're right", and so we picked out a pair that had it's partner.
Every morning now, I always tell her to remember to put on her partners. I think it's one of those things that a father and daughter will cherish together for a long time.
On my way back downstairs, I always peek into Lanie's room to make sure that she is up and is getting dressed. On this particular morning, she didn't like the shirt that I had chosen, so she asked me to help her pick out a new one. Once we accomplished that, I opened her sock drawer, and we began to search through the salad of socks for a matching pair. I grabbed one sock and she says to me, "No dad, that one doesn't have a partner". I said, "you're right", and so we picked out a pair that had it's partner.
Every morning now, I always tell her to remember to put on her partners. I think it's one of those things that a father and daughter will cherish together for a long time.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wanting & Giving
So, the holidays are just around the corner, again, and the kids already have their two and half page Christmas lists composed. I'm still amazed at how much stuff that they think they need. Of course, I wasn't much different when I was a kid. I remember sitting down with that huge Service Merchandise catalog on my lap, and gazing at the toy pages for hours. These days, the kids are bombarded with toy commercials on all of the cartoon channels, in addition to all of the separate toy ads we receive in the mail. I try to put myself in their shoes and imagine what it would feel like to be a kid these days. I guess it's all relative, really. A kid is a kid and they will always want toys, no matter how much the sensory overload.
A good friend of mine told me how they were doing Christmas a few years ago, and last year, my wife and I decided to give it a try. Jesus received gifts from the three wise men (kings). If that was good enough for Jesus, then it is definitely good enough for our kids. Three (individual) gifts, it really doesn't sound like much. But with the cost of toys these days and multiply that to our three kids, it is plenty. We throw in some family gifts like games or something the whole family can do as well, but they still only get three items from their hundred item lists.
Then I began thinking about my wants and needs. I am ashamed at all that I have. I have gotten into a bad habit of buying what ever I want, when I want it. This makes things hard for people to give me gifts, as if I deserve them anyway. The thing that I am most ashamed of is my determining what I need. Ultimately, God a plan for this. But being the wonderful God that He is, He allows me to make the choices (and purchases) that I make, all the while knowing that I will come crying to Him. He knows that I need Him more than anything on this earth. Somehow, I have gained this sense of thinking that I know what is best for me. I have forgotten all of times that He has really provided for me when things were tight, and how He rewarded me when I really counted on Him. He wants to give us gifts. Things that we could not have even imagined receiving. True surprises. Have you ever had that feeling when you thought of something to give to that one person that you truly love, and it was something that totally took them by surprise? That's what God wants for us. He wants to please us and surprise us. He wants to bless us and provide for us. And I can only receive this if I count on Him. I want to . . . no, I have to get out of the habit of self-blessing. I want gifts from my Father, but most of all, I just want to have a relationship with Him.
Check out this video from Rob Bell. Peace!
A good friend of mine told me how they were doing Christmas a few years ago, and last year, my wife and I decided to give it a try. Jesus received gifts from the three wise men (kings). If that was good enough for Jesus, then it is definitely good enough for our kids. Three (individual) gifts, it really doesn't sound like much. But with the cost of toys these days and multiply that to our three kids, it is plenty. We throw in some family gifts like games or something the whole family can do as well, but they still only get three items from their hundred item lists.
Then I began thinking about my wants and needs. I am ashamed at all that I have. I have gotten into a bad habit of buying what ever I want, when I want it. This makes things hard for people to give me gifts, as if I deserve them anyway. The thing that I am most ashamed of is my determining what I need. Ultimately, God a plan for this. But being the wonderful God that He is, He allows me to make the choices (and purchases) that I make, all the while knowing that I will come crying to Him. He knows that I need Him more than anything on this earth. Somehow, I have gained this sense of thinking that I know what is best for me. I have forgotten all of times that He has really provided for me when things were tight, and how He rewarded me when I really counted on Him. He wants to give us gifts. Things that we could not have even imagined receiving. True surprises. Have you ever had that feeling when you thought of something to give to that one person that you truly love, and it was something that totally took them by surprise? That's what God wants for us. He wants to please us and surprise us. He wants to bless us and provide for us. And I can only receive this if I count on Him. I want to . . . no, I have to get out of the habit of self-blessing. I want gifts from my Father, but most of all, I just want to have a relationship with Him.
Check out this video from Rob Bell. Peace!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Oh My God
Liars and fools, sons and failures
Thieves will always say...
Lost and found, ailing wanderers
Healers always say...
Whores and angels, men with problems
Leavers always say...
Broken-hearted, separated
Orphans always say...
War creators, racial haters
Preachers always say...
Distant fathers, fallen warriors
Givers always say...
Pilgrim saints, lonely widows
Users always say...
Fearful mothers, watchful doubters
Saviors always say...
Oh My God
Everybody cries out to God! We all need Him, one way or another!
Thieves will always say...
Lost and found, ailing wanderers
Healers always say...
Whores and angels, men with problems
Leavers always say...
Broken-hearted, separated
Orphans always say...
War creators, racial haters
Preachers always say...
Distant fathers, fallen warriors
Givers always say...
Pilgrim saints, lonely widows
Users always say...
Fearful mothers, watchful doubters
Saviors always say...
Oh My God
Everybody cries out to God! We all need Him, one way or another!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Being Humble
A simple formula for Humility.
1. God created the universe and everything in it, including us.
2. God shows that He is much more powerful than we are by what He has done and what He is doing in the world.
3. God gives each of us abilities that we cannot supply to ourselves or explain our worthiness of.
If we can recognize these three things, then we will be humbled.
1. God created the universe and everything in it, including us.
2. God shows that He is much more powerful than we are by what He has done and what He is doing in the world.
3. God gives each of us abilities that we cannot supply to ourselves or explain our worthiness of.
If we can recognize these three things, then we will be humbled.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Rethinking Halloween
So, what if Halloween wasn't about going door to door, yelling "Trick or Treat"? What if it wasn't about going to some broken old house and having the bejeebers scared out of you?
Halloween is linked to the Celtic festival known as Samhain which is derived from the Old Irish meaning "summers end". The festival of Samhain celebrates the ending of the "lighter half" of the year and the beginning of the "darker half" of the year. During this celebration, the ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin enough to allow spirits to pass through it (a little wacky if you ask me). Ancestor's spirits were invited to be with the living, but evil spirits were warded off by wearing costumes and masks.
I really don't have a problem with Trick-or-Treating, but how much does it take to go over board? I think that Halloween has become more commercialized than Christmas, and technically, it's not even an American holiday. I see more houses decorated with lights and scary decor on Halloween than on Christmas in the area we live in. Again, how much is too much?
My wife and I decided to make a stand last year, and chose not to celebrate Halloween the way we did growing up. We have started a new tradition. Last year, our church held it's first annual "The Blast" celebration, which included games, a maze, plenty of free candy, and a movie. This year's was much of the same and attracted hundreds of kids. Our kids questioned not being able to go trick-or-treating, but forgot all about it once the fun began at "The Blast".
Halloween is linked to the Celtic festival known as Samhain which is derived from the Old Irish meaning "summers end". The festival of Samhain celebrates the ending of the "lighter half" of the year and the beginning of the "darker half" of the year. During this celebration, the ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin enough to allow spirits to pass through it (a little wacky if you ask me). Ancestor's spirits were invited to be with the living, but evil spirits were warded off by wearing costumes and masks.
I really don't have a problem with Trick-or-Treating, but how much does it take to go over board? I think that Halloween has become more commercialized than Christmas, and technically, it's not even an American holiday. I see more houses decorated with lights and scary decor on Halloween than on Christmas in the area we live in. Again, how much is too much?
My wife and I decided to make a stand last year, and chose not to celebrate Halloween the way we did growing up. We have started a new tradition. Last year, our church held it's first annual "The Blast" celebration, which included games, a maze, plenty of free candy, and a movie. This year's was much of the same and attracted hundreds of kids. Our kids questioned not being able to go trick-or-treating, but forgot all about it once the fun began at "The Blast".
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