Nothing speacial about this post. It's been some time since my last posting. By no means is it that I have not had something to say. I've simply been lazy. It requires effort and an action to keep up with a blog...or with anything. It requires an action on our part. God has really been working in my life...on all three facets - professional, personal, and private. Much of His work has ciome with little or no action required from me. However, there is quite a bit that requires me to do something. I pray daily that God will open and close doors as He sees fit. I pray that prayer with the full understanding that when He opens a door, He expects me to go through it.
How often do we pray for something and then sit back and wait...and wait...and wait. All the time the door was wide open. He was waiting for us to go through. It's like praying day in and day out to win the lottery. Then one day we hear a voice say, "Buy a ticket." I have never had the Holy Spirit literally pick me up by my belt loop and and throw through a door that God has opened. I have to do it myself. The cool thing about going through a God opened door is that we go through with one perspective or expectation and what God had planned is completely different. Of course, we don't realize how cool it is at the time. It takes a while to see it. But when you love the Lord and you put your life in His hands and allow Him to guide your steps, hindsight rocks. Because all those situations and circumstances that you thought were bad or painful or completely wacked, many of them I'm sure were flat out awful, actually brought you to the exact place you needed to be...at the exact time...fully prepared to and equipped to receive the blessing of your life. That rocks!
So, go through the doors that God opens. Regardless of whether it makes sense or not...because most of the time it won't. And many times, what we think we want...or don't want...is not what God wants for us. His plan is perfect and He knows exactly what He is doing. And what He is doing is the best for us...regardless of how many times we throw a look of utter confusion heavenward. Keep it real.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Attack through Exclusion
Maybe I am just having a bad day but I feel the overwhelming urge to landblast a very popular and quite effective web site as a result of my experience with them today. I will do what I can to restrain but, again, I feel compelled to write not so much about the service, or the fact that a posting made today requesting pro bono web design was pulled (the ad was titled "Need help reaching men for Jesus - see link https://post.craigslist.org/manage/1339298020/itf56) and then when I changed the title but left content it, cannot be found (please see if you can find http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/cpg/1339576866.html) when actually searching the Jacksonville, FL...oops, the name came out, for listing # 1339576866. If it is found, I will be glad to retract my statements. However, it goes to a larger issue.
There is a thought that has permeated our society for decades: If we remove God from our schools, our businesses, our media, our everything, we can live our lives the way we want to and that little voice in our heads and the pit in our guts will go away. That is like turning the radio up in the car so you won't hear the brakes grinding every time you push the pedal. In our heart of hearts and despite what we will admit, we know what the consequences of ignoring the brake noise are (or the voice in our heads or the gut pain for that matter) but we do it anyway and keep driving and driving and driving until one day when we need the brakes to stop the car in order to keep it from running into a school bus full of kids or off a cliff, the car doesn't stop. Not only does the crash kill everyone in the bus, those in car die as well. Let's take the other scenario - car off a cliff. At least the children in the bus are safe but the family in the car is dead and just as the car plummets to the ground, the souls of those inside the car plummet as well, into eternal separation from God. At what point are we going to step up and step forward and say "Enough is enough."? If we do not acknowledge what is going on and take steps to correct it, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the condition of our families, our communities, our country.
Hey dad, whose responsibility is it to get the brakes fixed? If your answer is, "My wife takes care of the car repairs." is your answer to the question, "Who is responsible for the spiritual well being of your family?" the same? Are you ignoring God, your responsibility as a man, a husband, a father, and putting everything, to include the eternal destination of your family, in someone else's hands? Man, grow up and grow a pair. And for those of you not married or without kids, you are not off the hook. God has called you, as well, to step up.
The time for apathetic, non-involved, emasculated, checked out, head in the sand, not-my-problem, "there's nothing I can do", "my voice doesn't mean anything", "someone might call me weak", "I am afraid to step forward because I might actually have to live like a Christian", men is over. Take a stand. Put on the full armor of God and stand. Stand on the Word. Remember the old hymm,"Standing on the promises of God"? What a great message of hope, reassurance, and reality! He promises never to leave us or forsake us. He promises He will return and take His own home with Him. He also promises judgement for all. He promises eternal separation from Him for those who do not know Him or accept Him into their heart as their Savior. Jesus promises to disown those before the Father who disowned Him before men. Jesus promises to spit out those who are luke-warm. In other words, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, the One called Faithful and True whose eyes are blazing fire and dressed in a robe dipped in blood who, when He returns on a white horse to judge and make war, will bring the fury of the wrath of God Almighty with Him, is saying, "Go hard or go home." We might better take notice and heed His charge. My advice, take your Bible with you to the brake repair shop.
There is a thought that has permeated our society for decades: If we remove God from our schools, our businesses, our media, our everything, we can live our lives the way we want to and that little voice in our heads and the pit in our guts will go away. That is like turning the radio up in the car so you won't hear the brakes grinding every time you push the pedal. In our heart of hearts and despite what we will admit, we know what the consequences of ignoring the brake noise are (or the voice in our heads or the gut pain for that matter) but we do it anyway and keep driving and driving and driving until one day when we need the brakes to stop the car in order to keep it from running into a school bus full of kids or off a cliff, the car doesn't stop. Not only does the crash kill everyone in the bus, those in car die as well. Let's take the other scenario - car off a cliff. At least the children in the bus are safe but the family in the car is dead and just as the car plummets to the ground, the souls of those inside the car plummet as well, into eternal separation from God. At what point are we going to step up and step forward and say "Enough is enough."? If we do not acknowledge what is going on and take steps to correct it, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the condition of our families, our communities, our country.
Hey dad, whose responsibility is it to get the brakes fixed? If your answer is, "My wife takes care of the car repairs." is your answer to the question, "Who is responsible for the spiritual well being of your family?" the same? Are you ignoring God, your responsibility as a man, a husband, a father, and putting everything, to include the eternal destination of your family, in someone else's hands? Man, grow up and grow a pair. And for those of you not married or without kids, you are not off the hook. God has called you, as well, to step up.
The time for apathetic, non-involved, emasculated, checked out, head in the sand, not-my-problem, "there's nothing I can do", "my voice doesn't mean anything", "someone might call me weak", "I am afraid to step forward because I might actually have to live like a Christian", men is over. Take a stand. Put on the full armor of God and stand. Stand on the Word. Remember the old hymm,"Standing on the promises of God"? What a great message of hope, reassurance, and reality! He promises never to leave us or forsake us. He promises He will return and take His own home with Him. He also promises judgement for all. He promises eternal separation from Him for those who do not know Him or accept Him into their heart as their Savior. Jesus promises to disown those before the Father who disowned Him before men. Jesus promises to spit out those who are luke-warm. In other words, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, the One called Faithful and True whose eyes are blazing fire and dressed in a robe dipped in blood who, when He returns on a white horse to judge and make war, will bring the fury of the wrath of God Almighty with Him, is saying, "Go hard or go home." We might better take notice and heed His charge. My advice, take your Bible with you to the brake repair shop.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Middle Relief
Isn't it a huge boost to the old self confidence when your boss, your coach, someone you respect and admire says, "You are the man for the job" or "I need somebody to take care of this and you are my choice."? Especially when the task you have been given is something you either want to do or feel you is something you have been called to do. I use the latter because what if the one who gave you the nod is God? More on that in a bit.
When I think of 'getting the nod', I immediately think of a relief pitcher. Go figure. More specifically, I think of a middle reliever or a set up guy. For those non-baseball fans, the job of the middle reliever and set up guy, while they are not exactly the same, is essentially to take over for the starting pitcher and shut the opposing team down until the closer is brought in to seal the deal. While I never pitched in the big leagues, or beyond high school for that matter, I have been brought into games as middle relief and asked to, "get us through this inning," or told, "gimme 6 outs. That's all we need." Some of those times were less stressful and important as others. But anytime we are asked to 'take the mound', we are literally on an island (take a look at the pitcher's mound on a baseball field), alone, and totally exposed. We are on the spot and we must deliver or our team loses. It's that simple.
Now, in the case of the '6 outs', if the next 6 batters are players we are familiar with, know their weaknesses or how to get them out, or they are 8 year olds hitting against a 16 year old, we feel pretty confident and have no reservation about 'taking the hill and flinging the pill.' However, when the next 6 batters are completely unfamiliar to us and word on the street is that they are first round draft picks of the Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, Dodgers, Braves, and D'Backs and will be heading straight to the show after our game, that is a completely different scenario and one that will throw a little apprehension into the mix. Let's add to the scenario that everyone we know or have known is in the stands or watching, as the game is being televised nationally and on Armed Forces TV around the globe, and our team's future, to include the well-being of our families, are on the line and dependant on our ability to 'get 6 outs'. Despite the confidence we may have in our ability to throw a baseball, the scenario presented is one that would cause the butterflies to stir in even the most seasoned, experienced, and "faithful" pitcher...at any level. Much less one that is 16 years old.
When we are called by God to 'take the mound' we oftentimes feel like that 16 year old in the last scenario. And despite the confidence we have in ourselves and in our ability, we often feel overwhelmed, apprehensive, probably a bit inadequate, and, quite frankly, scared. And when God calls us, especially into ministry leadership, a great deal is at stake (as in the last scenario) and we are out on the island. The opposing batters want nothing more than to put a pounding on the new guy on the mound, bat through the order a couple of times, and put a monster number of runs on the scoreboard. However, as the old adage goes, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And despite the lonely feeling we may have standing alone on the pitcher's mound, we are not alone. As God was with Moses, Joshua, David, Gideon, and so many others whose stories and accounts are told throughout Scripture, He is with all those whom He calls. As He told Joshua, "...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NIV), He says the same to us today.
So the next time you are in the bullpen warming up and get the nod, take the mound with confidence knowing that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is with you. And despite the line-up of opposing batters to be faced, take heart. He is with you. Besides, who do you think created the wicked 12-6 curve ball? Keep it real.
When I think of 'getting the nod', I immediately think of a relief pitcher. Go figure. More specifically, I think of a middle reliever or a set up guy. For those non-baseball fans, the job of the middle reliever and set up guy, while they are not exactly the same, is essentially to take over for the starting pitcher and shut the opposing team down until the closer is brought in to seal the deal. While I never pitched in the big leagues, or beyond high school for that matter, I have been brought into games as middle relief and asked to, "get us through this inning," or told, "gimme 6 outs. That's all we need." Some of those times were less stressful and important as others. But anytime we are asked to 'take the mound', we are literally on an island (take a look at the pitcher's mound on a baseball field), alone, and totally exposed. We are on the spot and we must deliver or our team loses. It's that simple.
Now, in the case of the '6 outs', if the next 6 batters are players we are familiar with, know their weaknesses or how to get them out, or they are 8 year olds hitting against a 16 year old, we feel pretty confident and have no reservation about 'taking the hill and flinging the pill.' However, when the next 6 batters are completely unfamiliar to us and word on the street is that they are first round draft picks of the Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, Dodgers, Braves, and D'Backs and will be heading straight to the show after our game, that is a completely different scenario and one that will throw a little apprehension into the mix. Let's add to the scenario that everyone we know or have known is in the stands or watching, as the game is being televised nationally and on Armed Forces TV around the globe, and our team's future, to include the well-being of our families, are on the line and dependant on our ability to 'get 6 outs'. Despite the confidence we may have in our ability to throw a baseball, the scenario presented is one that would cause the butterflies to stir in even the most seasoned, experienced, and "faithful" pitcher...at any level. Much less one that is 16 years old.
When we are called by God to 'take the mound' we oftentimes feel like that 16 year old in the last scenario. And despite the confidence we have in ourselves and in our ability, we often feel overwhelmed, apprehensive, probably a bit inadequate, and, quite frankly, scared. And when God calls us, especially into ministry leadership, a great deal is at stake (as in the last scenario) and we are out on the island. The opposing batters want nothing more than to put a pounding on the new guy on the mound, bat through the order a couple of times, and put a monster number of runs on the scoreboard. However, as the old adage goes, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And despite the lonely feeling we may have standing alone on the pitcher's mound, we are not alone. As God was with Moses, Joshua, David, Gideon, and so many others whose stories and accounts are told throughout Scripture, He is with all those whom He calls. As He told Joshua, "...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NIV), He says the same to us today.
So the next time you are in the bullpen warming up and get the nod, take the mound with confidence knowing that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is with you. And despite the line-up of opposing batters to be faced, take heart. He is with you. Besides, who do you think created the wicked 12-6 curve ball? Keep it real.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Answered Prayer
I think we all have had answered prayers some time in our lifetimes. Sometimes God answers them the way we want and sometimes He answers them in a way we don't. Regardless of how we feel about how God answers our prayers, His will is perfect and He will answer them exactly in His time and exactly according to His perfect will. If we will rest in the fact that His will is perfect. And that, "...we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose." Rom 8:28(NIV), while we may not like the answer, we can accept it with the joy He brings our hearts. Tonight was one of the times where His answer to prayers were exactly what we hoped for.
I received a call from my mother who told me my 10 year old nephew and two friends had been playing just a feet away from shore at a beach near Corpus Christie, TX, when apparently the undertow swept them out into the surf. In a flash 3 young boys were missing. We received the call at approximately 2140, two hours after the search had begun. Once we received the call, we immediately tapped into the prayer warrior network we are so blessed to have. And in a matter of minutes, prayers from around the country went heavenward on behalf of my nephew and his friends. At approximately 2240, we received a call that the boys had been found...7 miles down the beach...safe and sound.
What a praise that was sent heavenward, thanking Him for his goodness. You know, during that hour I felt mixed emotions. We mobilized the prayer network upon receiving the news. We went into lock down and kneel mode. But you know, God is never surprised. He never goes into panic mode. He had those precious little boys in His hands the entire time. They were wholly protected by the Almighty, the King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Lion of Judah, Abbah Father. One thing we must realize and rest in is that regardless of the outcome of any situation, those who know Christ as their Savior are completely protected by an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, loving Father. He tells us in His Word that He gives His children eternal life and that no one can snatch them from the Father's hands. How much more blessed assurance do we need?
Thank you, Father, for Your blessings, for Your unconditional love, for our undeserved salvation...and for answered prayer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
I received a call from my mother who told me my 10 year old nephew and two friends had been playing just a feet away from shore at a beach near Corpus Christie, TX, when apparently the undertow swept them out into the surf. In a flash 3 young boys were missing. We received the call at approximately 2140, two hours after the search had begun. Once we received the call, we immediately tapped into the prayer warrior network we are so blessed to have. And in a matter of minutes, prayers from around the country went heavenward on behalf of my nephew and his friends. At approximately 2240, we received a call that the boys had been found...7 miles down the beach...safe and sound.
What a praise that was sent heavenward, thanking Him for his goodness. You know, during that hour I felt mixed emotions. We mobilized the prayer network upon receiving the news. We went into lock down and kneel mode. But you know, God is never surprised. He never goes into panic mode. He had those precious little boys in His hands the entire time. They were wholly protected by the Almighty, the King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Lion of Judah, Abbah Father. One thing we must realize and rest in is that regardless of the outcome of any situation, those who know Christ as their Savior are completely protected by an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, loving Father. He tells us in His Word that He gives His children eternal life and that no one can snatch them from the Father's hands. How much more blessed assurance do we need?
Thank you, Father, for Your blessings, for Your unconditional love, for our undeserved salvation...and for answered prayer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Wait
Short and sweet...WAIT on Him.
Amazing thing about patience; such a vital necessity of life and in such short supply. I am, of course, speaking of and to...me. And you if this applies. So often, I rush to make something happen or jump the gun (for you Track and Field enthusiasts) when I should simply...wait. Psalms 27:14 says "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."(NIV). Why is that so hard? I am posing this non-rhetorical question to myself. Over and over, God reveals to me that He is control and that if I would stay out of the way, things would go more His way and less mine. My way seems to be fraught with busyness and "white noise". I define white noise as a lot of movement but nothing is actually happening. While I rack my brain to figure out why I continue to go in circles and with little forward movement, God is waiting, ever so patiently, to reveal to me that my shoe is nailed to the ground (that would certainly explain the dizzy spells) and that if I would let Him, He will take care of the nail. So simple yet so difficult. What nail is keeping you stuck in circles? Again, I pose this question to myself...and to you if it applies. Keep it real!
Amazing thing about patience; such a vital necessity of life and in such short supply. I am, of course, speaking of and to...me. And you if this applies. So often, I rush to make something happen or jump the gun (for you Track and Field enthusiasts) when I should simply...wait. Psalms 27:14 says "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."(NIV). Why is that so hard? I am posing this non-rhetorical question to myself. Over and over, God reveals to me that He is control and that if I would stay out of the way, things would go more His way and less mine. My way seems to be fraught with busyness and "white noise". I define white noise as a lot of movement but nothing is actually happening. While I rack my brain to figure out why I continue to go in circles and with little forward movement, God is waiting, ever so patiently, to reveal to me that my shoe is nailed to the ground (that would certainly explain the dizzy spells) and that if I would let Him, He will take care of the nail. So simple yet so difficult. What nail is keeping you stuck in circles? Again, I pose this question to myself...and to you if it applies. Keep it real!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
I am blessed with a woman of God
My beautiful bride of 11 years and I celebrated our anniversary this weekend. I can't believe that much time has passed. All jokes aside, she deserves a medal for being married to me. I barely put up with me! She is the mother of two incredible young men. She tells everyone her home is filled with boys with the older being the most disruptive and unmanageable. I am so grateful for her. I don't tell her often enough what she means to me. Proverbs 31:10-12 says, " A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." Nothing could be more true of my wife, my friend. She was born 9 months after me. She often tells me God brought her into the world because He knew I would need her. She's absolutely right. As a matter of fact, the guys from Newsong knew it as well when they penned the lyrics to their song "When God made you He must have been thinking about me". Then chorus goes like this:
I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true
When God made you
He must have been thinking about me.
How true that is, my love, my best friend. I cannot begin to express what you mean to me. All I can say is that you save me every day. And every day I love you more. Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart. I love you.
I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true
When God made you
He must have been thinking about me.
How true that is, my love, my best friend. I cannot begin to express what you mean to me. All I can say is that you save me every day. And every day I love you more. Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart. I love you.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The boy and the slide.
I had a great day of blessings yesterday. I had the opportunity to join my 8 year old for his first 18 hole round of golf. He did outstanding...and drove the cart quite well I may add. Shhhhhh. Don't tell anybody that he drove the cart. And I got to see my youngest tackle the big water slide at our subdivision’s pool, thus conquering his fear of the “Big Slide”.
On Tuesday my little guy, 35 pounds of 5 year old grit and just completing his 4 week and some change “no swim" sentence due to a broken elbow (of which he broke being the dare devil he is) wanted so much to go down the water slide but was a bit afraid of it. He said it was “too big”. Of course, being the child psychologist I am, I tried to show him that the slide was not too big but that it was made of small segments. He didn’t quite fall for it. We went to the top and I did all I could to convince him that he should not let fear keep him from doing something he really wanted to do. Boy does that have implication and undertones all over the board…another time…another blog. I digress.
I spent the better part of 30 minutes pumping him up in the hopes of motivating him to go down the slide. I asked him, “Do you think God is bigger than that slide?” “Yes,” he answered. “And don’t you believe that if you ask Him to help you not be afraid, He will help you?”, I asked. “Yes”, he answered. “Then why don’t you go down the slide? You will love it!” I said like a coach trying to motivate his player. “Because I just don’t want to,” he replied. I accepted the fact that I will have to live with that. He will go down when he is ready. I knew it had to be his decision.
As I stated earlier, I had the opportunity to share in my oldest’s first 18 hole round of golf on Wednesday. On our way home, I got the message from my wife that my youngest was “ready to go down the slide and keep going down as long as we were at the pool.” No way was I missing this. We got to the pool and he jumped right in as usual. I reminded him that he was going to go down the slide. “Oh yeah,” he said as if it was a trivial thing that just slipped his mind, He jumped out of the water, put on his goggles, and headed up the many stairs to the top of the tower and the water slide. He waited his turn patiently and when it was his turn, he jumped right in to the rushing water and rode down like he had done it a hundred times. A few times into his multiple trips down the slide, he realized that he would go faster if he laid on his back. Well he did and there were a few times I thought he was headed over the side as his little body was tossed down the slide. Every trip down all you could see was a flash of white teeth and blonde hair. It was awesome. After a few more trips down, he headed over to the other section of the pool and played water football with the rest of the boys. It was just another day at the pool. Maybe for him, not for me.
Fear is a powerful thing. If we allow it to rule, it can keep us from experiencing some of the greatest blessings God has in store for us. And fear is not reserved for only the young. We know this. Nothing new and earth shattering here. But what I think so many of us often miss, me included, is that we never really overcome fear. Fear is there, always. Not knowing what's on the other side of the door keeps us from opening it. But more importantly, the action associated with our attempt to get past something that scares us is not the true "overcoming" of the fear. Simply opening the door is not overcoming the fear of what may be behind the door. It is the act of "deciding to accept" what happens, regardless of the outcome of the action, that is the "overcoming" of fear. What happens if we don’t like what’s behind the door? If we are like most, we’d spend too much time complaining about actually opening the door rather than accepting that what is behind the door is what was supposed to be and that there was a clear and distinct reason for it. We simply need to look and listen for what that reason was. As believers grow in their faith, God's "winks"(the incidents and occurrences unbelievers call coincidences but we know better) become more and more recognizable. That is when it gets fun.
God has a plan for our lives. All of us. While we are not necessarily brought into the loop on what that plan may be, as followers of Christ Jesus we have to have faith that His plan for our lives is perfect. And that whatever happens we accept it because it is His will. Romans 8:28 tells us that “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” I accept the results and what's behind the door. I can hear Monty Hall now, “Let’s see what’s behind door #3!” Oh boy. I just dated myself.
On Tuesday my little guy, 35 pounds of 5 year old grit and just completing his 4 week and some change “no swim" sentence due to a broken elbow (of which he broke being the dare devil he is) wanted so much to go down the water slide but was a bit afraid of it. He said it was “too big”. Of course, being the child psychologist I am, I tried to show him that the slide was not too big but that it was made of small segments. He didn’t quite fall for it. We went to the top and I did all I could to convince him that he should not let fear keep him from doing something he really wanted to do. Boy does that have implication and undertones all over the board…another time…another blog. I digress.
I spent the better part of 30 minutes pumping him up in the hopes of motivating him to go down the slide. I asked him, “Do you think God is bigger than that slide?” “Yes,” he answered. “And don’t you believe that if you ask Him to help you not be afraid, He will help you?”, I asked. “Yes”, he answered. “Then why don’t you go down the slide? You will love it!” I said like a coach trying to motivate his player. “Because I just don’t want to,” he replied. I accepted the fact that I will have to live with that. He will go down when he is ready. I knew it had to be his decision.
As I stated earlier, I had the opportunity to share in my oldest’s first 18 hole round of golf on Wednesday. On our way home, I got the message from my wife that my youngest was “ready to go down the slide and keep going down as long as we were at the pool.” No way was I missing this. We got to the pool and he jumped right in as usual. I reminded him that he was going to go down the slide. “Oh yeah,” he said as if it was a trivial thing that just slipped his mind, He jumped out of the water, put on his goggles, and headed up the many stairs to the top of the tower and the water slide. He waited his turn patiently and when it was his turn, he jumped right in to the rushing water and rode down like he had done it a hundred times. A few times into his multiple trips down the slide, he realized that he would go faster if he laid on his back. Well he did and there were a few times I thought he was headed over the side as his little body was tossed down the slide. Every trip down all you could see was a flash of white teeth and blonde hair. It was awesome. After a few more trips down, he headed over to the other section of the pool and played water football with the rest of the boys. It was just another day at the pool. Maybe for him, not for me.
Fear is a powerful thing. If we allow it to rule, it can keep us from experiencing some of the greatest blessings God has in store for us. And fear is not reserved for only the young. We know this. Nothing new and earth shattering here. But what I think so many of us often miss, me included, is that we never really overcome fear. Fear is there, always. Not knowing what's on the other side of the door keeps us from opening it. But more importantly, the action associated with our attempt to get past something that scares us is not the true "overcoming" of the fear. Simply opening the door is not overcoming the fear of what may be behind the door. It is the act of "deciding to accept" what happens, regardless of the outcome of the action, that is the "overcoming" of fear. What happens if we don’t like what’s behind the door? If we are like most, we’d spend too much time complaining about actually opening the door rather than accepting that what is behind the door is what was supposed to be and that there was a clear and distinct reason for it. We simply need to look and listen for what that reason was. As believers grow in their faith, God's "winks"(the incidents and occurrences unbelievers call coincidences but we know better) become more and more recognizable. That is when it gets fun.
God has a plan for our lives. All of us. While we are not necessarily brought into the loop on what that plan may be, as followers of Christ Jesus we have to have faith that His plan for our lives is perfect. And that whatever happens we accept it because it is His will. Romans 8:28 tells us that “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” I accept the results and what's behind the door. I can hear Monty Hall now, “Let’s see what’s behind door #3!” Oh boy. I just dated myself.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day
Happy Father's Day, dads. As we enjoy our day of...whatever it is that we guys enjoy (for me, I have the Red Sox playing the Braves and flipping between that and the US Open - it's over 100 degrees outside), let's not forget about the war that rages on for our lives and the lives of our families. Satan will do all he can to neutralize men and separate them from their wives and from their children. Either physically or emotionally, if he can cause the separation, he will have accomplished his goal. And with men and dads neutralized and out of the picture, the family is completely vulenrable to attack. Today, men around the country, and in many parts of the world, will have a memory of growing up and of their father. How do you remember your father? Those of you who are dads, how do you want your kids to remember you? Remember, we are only responsible for ourselves. We also cannot change the past. However, we have the power to impact the future.
Be the man God has called you to be. Be the dad your kids and family need. Take point and lead your family. Don't think you have what it takes to lead your family? Things too far gone to recover? I beg to differ. God doesn't make mistakes and He hasn't changed the man model since Adam. So apparently He did it right the first time.
I am praying for all dads and men. We are in this war together, men. And we will prevail. Know how I know? I read the last chapter in the Book. Check out Revelation when you get the chance.
Thanks, Dads. All of you. God bless you. Keep it real!
Be the man God has called you to be. Be the dad your kids and family need. Take point and lead your family. Don't think you have what it takes to lead your family? Things too far gone to recover? I beg to differ. God doesn't make mistakes and He hasn't changed the man model since Adam. So apparently He did it right the first time.
I am praying for all dads and men. We are in this war together, men. And we will prevail. Know how I know? I read the last chapter in the Book. Check out Revelation when you get the chance.
Thanks, Dads. All of you. God bless you. Keep it real!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Who are you?
When somebody asks you that question, how do you respond? Usually, I don't have a problem answering that question. I meet literally thousands of people and speak to groups and crowds all the time. Today I was got off guard and my standard answer of "I'm Jeff Searcy" caused me to think about how I answer people.
This morning at the usual Tuesday Morning Bunch gathering at Cracker Barrel (make sure you check out the TMB section of the soon to be live Servant Warrior Ministries website www.servantwarriorministries.com or visit www.tuesdaymorningbunch.com in the very near future for more info) with some of my dear Christian brothers and fellow servant warriors, we had a first timer, someone a few of the guys already knew, join us. I was telling him a little about the group and the men's ministry and he stopped me mid sentence and asked, "Wait a minute. Now who are you?" I was a little caught off guard and answered, my usual, "I'm Jeff Searcy." I told him a little about my coming to the area, my family's tour of churches, etc... But after I left breakfast and was headed to the office, I started thinking about my response and that he probably thought, "Jeff Searcy? Okay, so what. Again I ask...Who are you?" If I am honest with myself, I would admit that I may have thought the same in the same situation.
It made me start to think. What an arrogant response on my part. As if I'm somebody. I thought I should have responded, "I'm nobody, just someone heeding a call." But God quickly spoke to my spirit and said "You are somebody. You are somebody to Me. You were fearfully and wonderfully made. And you are Mine. And that makes you important. But I also call you to be humble in spirit (ref. Matt 5:3)." For many of us, even long time Christians, this concept of seeming contradiction is a hard concept to wrap our head around. I pulled into the office parking lot and just sat. You know, God speaks in the gentle whispers (see I Kings 19:10-18. It's awesome!). And it came to me. When someone asks me, "Who are you?"... My response should be, "I am a humble servant of the Almighty...with a vision." Now, being that I am on the high strung side of passionate, my response should be, "I am a humble yet highly motivated servant of the Almighty...with a vision." Either response accurately answers the question and hopefully sparks a couple of follow up questions like, "servant of the Almighty... what's that?" Or, "What do you mean, vision?" Oh, it's on now! That little opening is all a humble servant of the Almighty needs to share the Good News. I can't wait to try it out. Until next time... Keep it real.
This morning at the usual Tuesday Morning Bunch gathering at Cracker Barrel (make sure you check out the TMB section of the soon to be live Servant Warrior Ministries website www.servantwarriorministries.com or visit www.tuesdaymorningbunch.com in the very near future for more info) with some of my dear Christian brothers and fellow servant warriors, we had a first timer, someone a few of the guys already knew, join us. I was telling him a little about the group and the men's ministry and he stopped me mid sentence and asked, "Wait a minute. Now who are you?" I was a little caught off guard and answered, my usual, "I'm Jeff Searcy." I told him a little about my coming to the area, my family's tour of churches, etc... But after I left breakfast and was headed to the office, I started thinking about my response and that he probably thought, "Jeff Searcy? Okay, so what. Again I ask...Who are you?" If I am honest with myself, I would admit that I may have thought the same in the same situation.
It made me start to think. What an arrogant response on my part. As if I'm somebody. I thought I should have responded, "I'm nobody, just someone heeding a call." But God quickly spoke to my spirit and said "You are somebody. You are somebody to Me. You were fearfully and wonderfully made. And you are Mine. And that makes you important. But I also call you to be humble in spirit (ref. Matt 5:3)." For many of us, even long time Christians, this concept of seeming contradiction is a hard concept to wrap our head around. I pulled into the office parking lot and just sat. You know, God speaks in the gentle whispers (see I Kings 19:10-18. It's awesome!). And it came to me. When someone asks me, "Who are you?"... My response should be, "I am a humble servant of the Almighty...with a vision." Now, being that I am on the high strung side of passionate, my response should be, "I am a humble yet highly motivated servant of the Almighty...with a vision." Either response accurately answers the question and hopefully sparks a couple of follow up questions like, "servant of the Almighty... what's that?" Or, "What do you mean, vision?" Oh, it's on now! That little opening is all a humble servant of the Almighty needs to share the Good News. I can't wait to try it out. Until next time... Keep it real.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Learning Moment for Dad (LMFD): The servant heart of a 5 year old
This is my first entry for Life Lessons and Observations. And, how fitting is it that the first is a life lesson for Dad, or an LMFD (Learning Moment for Dad).
Yesterday, Saturday, at 1200 noon I was out cutting my grass. Let me tell you, it was hot. Ridiculous Florida hot. I mean, it was a "No need to be this hot as it is complete overkill" hot. You get the jist. Nevertheless, I was cutting my grass. Now get the picture: my self propelled mower lost its self propulsion...and that thing is heavy. I had finished cutting my front yard and was working on the back. I literally was pushing with my eyes closed because I could not keep the sweat from pouring in my eyes. Just then, out of the screened porch walks my 5 year old son, my youngest. Beautiful curly blonde locks of hair flopping as all 35 pounds of him skipped towards me with a bottle of water in his hand. Now his mom was not home so my first thought was he wants me to open the water. I would love to say that when I saw him coming toward me I was thinking, "Oh, how happy I am that he wants me to do something for him." My first thought was "I have to stop now, turn off the mower, open the water bottle, wonk wonk wonk." It was more of a boo hoo for me.
He got to me, looked at me with those big blue eyes and handed me the bottle. I opened for him, smiled best I could, and handed it back to him. He looked square at me and with the matter of factness and purity of heart that only can come from a 5 year old and said, "I brought it out for you." He then turned around and skipped away.
I immediately looked heavenward and thanked God for that teachable moment. I thanked God for not allowing me to miss the teachable moment He orchestrated for me. So often we, as parents, as dads, as folks who have been around the block, look for teachable moments. We look for the opportunity to share a nugget or two of wisdom as if we were the wise oracle imparting life altering wisdom to whoever happens to be on the receiving end. Often times we miss them, especially with our kids. The impact really comes when when you don't miss one, especially when the person being taught is you.
I enjoyed the room temperature water more than I thought possible. Mostly because my little buddy, in the middle of the hundred things he does...all at once, mind you...thought of me out in the hot sun cutting grass, on his own mind you, and brought me some water. I would bet that he acted on the thought of bringing me out some water as soon as it entered his mind. He didn't stop to think whether or not he had the time or even felt like doing something for someone else. He did it without hesitation. We could all take a lesson from this 35 pound, blue eyed, floppy blonde haired 5 year old with a servant's heart.
By the way, a few minutes later he came skipping back out of the screen porch. I was in a different frame of mind this time around, but he still got me. I turned off the mower and said, "What can I do for you little buddy?" expecting him to need something. (Come on. Cut me some slack. I have two boys.) He looked up at me and asked, "Where is the water bottle?" I had placed it in my pocket when I finished it. I pulled it out of my pocket and said, "Right here." He reached for it. I gave it to him. He said, again with the purest of heart, "I came out to get it to throw it away for you." He took it and skipped away. Thank you Lord Jesus for his heart...his servant heart.
Yesterday, Saturday, at 1200 noon I was out cutting my grass. Let me tell you, it was hot. Ridiculous Florida hot. I mean, it was a "No need to be this hot as it is complete overkill" hot. You get the jist. Nevertheless, I was cutting my grass. Now get the picture: my self propelled mower lost its self propulsion...and that thing is heavy. I had finished cutting my front yard and was working on the back. I literally was pushing with my eyes closed because I could not keep the sweat from pouring in my eyes. Just then, out of the screened porch walks my 5 year old son, my youngest. Beautiful curly blonde locks of hair flopping as all 35 pounds of him skipped towards me with a bottle of water in his hand. Now his mom was not home so my first thought was he wants me to open the water. I would love to say that when I saw him coming toward me I was thinking, "Oh, how happy I am that he wants me to do something for him." My first thought was "I have to stop now, turn off the mower, open the water bottle, wonk wonk wonk." It was more of a boo hoo for me.
He got to me, looked at me with those big blue eyes and handed me the bottle. I opened for him, smiled best I could, and handed it back to him. He looked square at me and with the matter of factness and purity of heart that only can come from a 5 year old and said, "I brought it out for you." He then turned around and skipped away.
I immediately looked heavenward and thanked God for that teachable moment. I thanked God for not allowing me to miss the teachable moment He orchestrated for me. So often we, as parents, as dads, as folks who have been around the block, look for teachable moments. We look for the opportunity to share a nugget or two of wisdom as if we were the wise oracle imparting life altering wisdom to whoever happens to be on the receiving end. Often times we miss them, especially with our kids. The impact really comes when when you don't miss one, especially when the person being taught is you.
I enjoyed the room temperature water more than I thought possible. Mostly because my little buddy, in the middle of the hundred things he does...all at once, mind you...thought of me out in the hot sun cutting grass, on his own mind you, and brought me some water. I would bet that he acted on the thought of bringing me out some water as soon as it entered his mind. He didn't stop to think whether or not he had the time or even felt like doing something for someone else. He did it without hesitation. We could all take a lesson from this 35 pound, blue eyed, floppy blonde haired 5 year old with a servant's heart.
By the way, a few minutes later he came skipping back out of the screen porch. I was in a different frame of mind this time around, but he still got me. I turned off the mower and said, "What can I do for you little buddy?" expecting him to need something. (Come on. Cut me some slack. I have two boys.) He looked up at me and asked, "Where is the water bottle?" I had placed it in my pocket when I finished it. I pulled it out of my pocket and said, "Right here." He reached for it. I gave it to him. He said, again with the purest of heart, "I came out to get it to throw it away for you." He took it and skipped away. Thank you Lord Jesus for his heart...his servant heart.
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