The other night, there was no room for me in my bed. I had just arrived home from church and found Kristen on my side with a clinging 2 year old. Sickness is hard. We don't like to see our kids uncomfortable. Parenting is hard. I went across the hall and climbed into bed beside our four year old and her blankey, stuffed cat, and collection of toilet paper for her runny nose. I listened to the restless sounds through the wall in the nursery of two babies struggling with their stuffiness and congestion. The sounds of discomfort from the 2 year old in our bed dealing with a viral rash that had left her sleepless for the better part of 2 nights. Most of my prayers are silent. I have always enjoyed lying down and just unpacking my mind before i go to sleep. What i'm thankful for, what Im concerned about, my family, my friends. That night, I was silently praying for healing, recovery, and rest for my children. I was wrestling with my bend toward selfishness, I wanted rest, I wanted to get rest in MY bed, my head on MY pillow, and under MY familiar covers, next to MY wife.
Raising kids is funny when you think about it. The term suggests that we have it figured out, that its our turn to turn out quality people into the world. Parenting in a lot of ways is the process of being raised. We learn so much everyday about how to love, about ourselves, about God. Parenting causes us to put others before ourselves. Its not easy and I'm bad at it but, I think I'm being raised to do it.
Last night there was resistance to ointment that would relieve some pain and discomfort, there was resistance to an oatmeal bath, there was resistance to oral medication. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't easy. When the acceptance came, there were smiles, there was swimming and splashing in the tub, there was rest. Even as parents, we sometimes resist the things we know we should be doing- the things that are good for us, that help us find joy, relief, and rest.
We're raising kids but we're also in the process of being raised ourselves.
Tuesday, November 17
Monday, October 19
A Letter To The Author and Perfecter
Sometimes I just don't understand what you're doing. Well actually, most of the time I don't have any idea what you're doing. This season has been tough. I am irritable, fed up, quick tempered. I know that a lot of that is self inflicted. It's tough to not know. To think you're getting close, and only finding a locked door. So much time and money invested and feeling like I already missed my chance. That can't be true though. Not if you are sovereign. If you are working all things together, there must be some opportunity just around the corner. Rejection is disappointing but, there must be something happening in the process. I must be going through some type of preparation process. I read somewhere today that "feeling inadequate is a prerequisite to being used by God." I probably butchered that but I think JD Greer said it. Anyway, you know who said it and what it was exactly and how it resonated with me and why it resonated with me. You know me. I'm trusting that. You know the perfect place for me. You know the perfect place for these gifts you've given me, this passion inside of me. These strengths, these weaknesses, these fears, and this heart! You know! Help me to trust! Not knowing is hard, staying positive is hard, caring is hard, trusting is hard! You are sufficient! You always have been and you always will be! You will make a way! Here I am!
Tuesday, September 29
Being The Right Image
Back before Duck Dynasty ushered in a corporate approval of beards, I had a Pastor I worked with tell me not to let my beard get too long. You see, I was a worship leader, and that made me the face of the church to first time guests. Since then, beards have been all the rage, and it serves the church well to have a trendy bearded guy in front of the congregation. The church has a habit of taking the focus off of Jesus. The church fashions mission statements and visions that seek to reach the lost and be the church of acts in a modern form. However, in doing so they often get focused on giving off the right image instead of being the right image. The church should be a reflection of Jesus.
I once saw a popular faith healer on t.v call out a young couple to that altar. He prayed over them, they accepted Jesus. He then instructed the guy to shave his green mohawk, take the plugs out of his ears, and gave him money to go buy a suit and encouraged him to get a job.
It is sad to see the church get so hung up on image. Jesus never was.. think about the hygiene that he must have encoountered when he healed the sick, cast out demons. There wasn't running water in homes, and showers were not a daily activity. Add sickness to that equation and it had to be pungent. I don't recall ever reading where Jesus said now go, take a shower, get a haircut, change your robes.
Jesus gave sight to a blind man after rubbing mud on his eyes. I'd imagine that the man, who had been begging, was already dirty. Man, he probably had a beard that needed trimming.... Jesus just met his request.
The early church grew by doing what they had seen Jesus doing. Sometimes, we forget to do that. We forget to do what Jesus did. We get hung up on our history and traditions, the things are forefathers did and we forget to do what Jesus did.
Jesus never called anyone to change before they came to him, only after... and yet we are growing more and more close minded in the eyes of those our mission statements claim to want to reach
I once saw a popular faith healer on t.v call out a young couple to that altar. He prayed over them, they accepted Jesus. He then instructed the guy to shave his green mohawk, take the plugs out of his ears, and gave him money to go buy a suit and encouraged him to get a job.
It is sad to see the church get so hung up on image. Jesus never was.. think about the hygiene that he must have encoountered when he healed the sick, cast out demons. There wasn't running water in homes, and showers were not a daily activity. Add sickness to that equation and it had to be pungent. I don't recall ever reading where Jesus said now go, take a shower, get a haircut, change your robes.
Jesus gave sight to a blind man after rubbing mud on his eyes. I'd imagine that the man, who had been begging, was already dirty. Man, he probably had a beard that needed trimming.... Jesus just met his request.
The early church grew by doing what they had seen Jesus doing. Sometimes, we forget to do that. We forget to do what Jesus did. We get hung up on our history and traditions, the things are forefathers did and we forget to do what Jesus did.
Jesus never called anyone to change before they came to him, only after... and yet we are growing more and more close minded in the eyes of those our mission statements claim to want to reach
Tuesday, June 23
Robbing The Power
"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7
God did not give us a spirit of fear. Many times, we look fearful in the eyes of the world. We run to social media and post everything we can to prevent the world from being the world. Rarely do we make such strides to keep ourselves from sinning.. It is no secret that as the day draws near people will grow ever more resistant to the word of God. The Bible tells us that ministers will begin to tell people what they want to hear. "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions," 2 Timothy 4:3. We are certainly seeing this unfold today!
It is certainly no coincidence that this warning in second Timothy comes after it is pointed out that God did not give us a spirit of fear. Another thing that social media reveals other than the fear that we have that redefining marriage will usher in the apocalypse is that we may not have a spirit of self-control. I am constantly blown away by comments that I read on social media that are so hateful in the name of Jesus.
Do I want the definition of marriage to change? No. I don't..Do I think that it changes the power of God, his plan for the church, and authority? No, I don't. I have a hard time finding in the scriptures where Jesus addressed every single opposing view. I am easily able to find him washing the feet of sinners, feeding them, teaching them, healing them, loving them, and dying for them. (us)
We shouldn't be afraid. God knows what he is doing! Scripture tells us that the time is coming when people will seek pleasure over truth. We shouldn't be surprised or shocked by the things we are seeing and hearing. We weren't given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-control. We have been given the power of the holy spirit working in and through us, the same power that raised Christ from the dead. (Rom. 8:11) We are given the love of Christ to extend to our neighbors. We are given self-control. It is more offensive that Christians do not operate in this Spirit than it is when the world operating like the world.
We should strive to live in his strength instead of our weakness.
God did not give us a spirit of fear. Many times, we look fearful in the eyes of the world. We run to social media and post everything we can to prevent the world from being the world. Rarely do we make such strides to keep ourselves from sinning.. It is no secret that as the day draws near people will grow ever more resistant to the word of God. The Bible tells us that ministers will begin to tell people what they want to hear. "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions," 2 Timothy 4:3. We are certainly seeing this unfold today!
It is certainly no coincidence that this warning in second Timothy comes after it is pointed out that God did not give us a spirit of fear. Another thing that social media reveals other than the fear that we have that redefining marriage will usher in the apocalypse is that we may not have a spirit of self-control. I am constantly blown away by comments that I read on social media that are so hateful in the name of Jesus.
Do I want the definition of marriage to change? No. I don't..Do I think that it changes the power of God, his plan for the church, and authority? No, I don't. I have a hard time finding in the scriptures where Jesus addressed every single opposing view. I am easily able to find him washing the feet of sinners, feeding them, teaching them, healing them, loving them, and dying for them. (us)
We shouldn't be afraid. God knows what he is doing! Scripture tells us that the time is coming when people will seek pleasure over truth. We shouldn't be surprised or shocked by the things we are seeing and hearing. We weren't given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-control. We have been given the power of the holy spirit working in and through us, the same power that raised Christ from the dead. (Rom. 8:11) We are given the love of Christ to extend to our neighbors. We are given self-control. It is more offensive that Christians do not operate in this Spirit than it is when the world operating like the world.
We should strive to live in his strength instead of our weakness.
Wednesday, April 29
Bank Illustration
I love direct deposit, especially when it drops early! Its a good feeling to look into my account to find that the deposit has been made on time. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of direct withdraw. Sometimes, it gets taken out earlier than it is supposed to, and that is not good, especially when you're waiting on the direct deposit. Our spiritual experience can be like this. We love it when someone pours into us, when they minister to us in a direct way. We love to be on the receiving end of a blessing. ON the other hand, when it is time to give of ourselves, we may not be ready. We may not know what to say because our "bank" is running low. 2 Timothy 4:2 says to "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct,rebuke, and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction." In order to be prepared, we have to be actively seeking to grow in relationship with Christ. When we put in the work, the Spirit deposits what we need in order to be prepared. He gives us the things that we need in order to be ready for the withdrawal so that we can deposit into others with patience and careful instruction for the glory of God.
Thursday, April 16
The Right Side
John 21:6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."
Too often, we feel stuck. We want to see results but, they're just not showing up. We have our nets in the water, and we wait.
Whether it be church growth, personal growth, relationships. Maybe our nets are on the wrong side of the boat. Maybe we have our energy invested in the wrong things.
Notice that Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the RIGHT side... That implies so much doesn't it? Once they did, there were so many fish!
Maybe you're tired of the same tired argument. Maybe it's tradition, maybe it's some type of expectations that aren't being met in some area of your life. Maybe the problem isn't the water, maybe the problem is where you're fishing.
The fishermen were tired, ready to quit for the day, discouraged. Another wasted day! Jesus told them to keep at it but to change their approach!
What a word!!
Keep it up! Persevere! There is reward on the RIGHT side!
Have Faith and Wait!
Too often, we feel stuck. We want to see results but, they're just not showing up. We have our nets in the water, and we wait.
Whether it be church growth, personal growth, relationships. Maybe our nets are on the wrong side of the boat. Maybe we have our energy invested in the wrong things.
Notice that Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the RIGHT side... That implies so much doesn't it? Once they did, there were so many fish!
Maybe you're tired of the same tired argument. Maybe it's tradition, maybe it's some type of expectations that aren't being met in some area of your life. Maybe the problem isn't the water, maybe the problem is where you're fishing.
The fishermen were tired, ready to quit for the day, discouraged. Another wasted day! Jesus told them to keep at it but to change their approach!
What a word!!
Keep it up! Persevere! There is reward on the RIGHT side!
Have Faith and Wait!
Thursday, April 9
Giving Up
Giving up- it seems to be a common theme in the world around me. I have certainly felt like throwing in the towel with some aspects of my life lately. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes back in December and have drastically changed my approach to eating. My life has changed in terms of routine and I have had to begin some annoying rituals that sting and leave my fingers sore. For the first time in my life, I am on a medicine regiment and it is annoying to have to remember each dose. Man, it sure would be easy to give up and eat what I want and forget the blood checking and pills. Wouldn't that be convenient and serve my desires?
Community is tough. Getting a handful of people to agree on something and see the significance of something is like pulling teeth sometime. It would just be easy to give up when there is tension and disagreement. When things don't fit into my square, it would be easy to walk away. I have certainly felt/thought that lately.
When the world puts Christians under the microscope, it is easy to feel insecure about our beliefs. The enemy wants us to give up.
When things are difficult and what was once fun has become mundane and routine, it's easy to just seek out something else. This is when we start to neglect commitments, promises, and just give up. We started up the mountain but the climb just gets more strenuous and it is certainly easier to repel down than it is to climb upward.
I am baffled at how easy it seems to just abort mission these days. It all seems to point to selfishness. I'm not happy, I want adventure, I want freedom. The focus becomes on getting out of circumstances instead of persevering and seeing the work God is doing in the season. The problem is, if our lives are built on how we feel, we will just leave people, projects, communities in our wake as we pursue happy feeling after happy feeling.
Giving up. It's so easy but, it's not rewarding. It is self serving, which isn't loving (1 Cor. 13)
Dying to ourselves is one of the largest barriers between us and God and one of the biggest things that prevents perseverance.
Community is tough. Getting a handful of people to agree on something and see the significance of something is like pulling teeth sometime. It would just be easy to give up when there is tension and disagreement. When things don't fit into my square, it would be easy to walk away. I have certainly felt/thought that lately.
When the world puts Christians under the microscope, it is easy to feel insecure about our beliefs. The enemy wants us to give up.
When things are difficult and what was once fun has become mundane and routine, it's easy to just seek out something else. This is when we start to neglect commitments, promises, and just give up. We started up the mountain but the climb just gets more strenuous and it is certainly easier to repel down than it is to climb upward.
I am baffled at how easy it seems to just abort mission these days. It all seems to point to selfishness. I'm not happy, I want adventure, I want freedom. The focus becomes on getting out of circumstances instead of persevering and seeing the work God is doing in the season. The problem is, if our lives are built on how we feel, we will just leave people, projects, communities in our wake as we pursue happy feeling after happy feeling.
Giving up. It's so easy but, it's not rewarding. It is self serving, which isn't loving (1 Cor. 13)
Dying to ourselves is one of the largest barriers between us and God and one of the biggest things that prevents perseverance.
Tuesday, January 13
Bad Seasons
After a bad football season, it is common to hear talk of firing the coach or at least part of the staff. Surely, someone else can put a better program together and achieve a winning season. In life, we often get mad at the coach when we have a bad season. Our circumstances steer us in a new direction. Surely, things will get better if the calls are made differently. I am currently in a tough season. With the premature birth of twins, having one home and one in the hospital. Not getting ideal news at the doctor, and various other stressors. When I evaluate the season, the true coach has been revealed and he must be fired! I have let the circumstances of the season determine my loyalty and my faith. I have been trying to call the plays. God is still good when life is difficult, when things don't go as planned. If God's existence and goodness hinged on how I feel, my physical condition, financial condition, or relationships, then he wouldn't be Lord. Often, we give our lives to the Lord but turn our backs when circumstances are bad, when the season is not so great. We must ask ourselves who has the coach been? If our relationship with God depends on what makes us happy and makes the season good in our minds, then God is not the coach. We have been running the season on our terms. Lately, my attitude has been effected, my attitude has been blah and I have learned that I have been relying too much on ideal circumstances and not on the author of my life. The good news about a bad season is that another season is on the horizon. Make sure you have the right head coach even if that means firing yourself!
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