Four days after Christmas and I am writing about thanksgiving, I imagine it would seem I am somewhat behind in updating my blog, or I have my holidays messages mixed up. It's been a busy five or six weeks. Thanksgiving came and went in a moment, seems the next time I looked "T'was the night before Christmas." Now it's a few days after Christmas.
I love this time of year. The mad rush that results in a consumeristic(I made this word up) Christmas is over, and now in the waning days of December we all collectively take a deep breath and let out a well deserved sigh of relief as if to say we've made it. Made it through another year and almost into the next one, God willing of course.
That's why I am thankful, God blessed me with health and opportunities one more time. If I'm not careful (often I'm not) I miss those blessings from God, and I call those blessings and opportunities problems. That's why I am thankful, God sends me reminders throughout the year that he gives all of us blessings. Sometimes the blessings arrive disguised as problems, that's when God seems to say to me "solve this one." I try and I fail, that's when I know he's teaching me to rely on Him.
Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
I can do everything through him who gives. God is the giver, it's rather simple. All I have or am is because he gave. That's why I am thankful, I know in my heart it is the truth. I seldom live it out as I should, but I know the truth, and I know who gives.
As this month and year end, (on the same date) I am thankful to share the truth found in Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
While we were his enemy, he gave. That's why I am thankful.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Cadence Part II
It seems when someone else does something there are two reactions, the first is the big deal reaction. As in, big deal I could do that, or so what I did that, or even better yet who cares. The second reaction is the you gotta be kidding me reaction. As in, you did what?!?! Why would you ever do something like that? You must be crazy.
Back to the frogs. Through Ben's sermon I sensed the leading of the Holy Spirit, it was not the first time I had sensed this particular leading, it was though, the first time I acted on it. I was working in a job that regularly required me to work 50 to 60+ hours per week. The quality of all my relationships was at a low. Relationally I had no cadence. God, yep once a week on Sunday, strong spiritual discipline, check. My wife, 30 minutes in the morning while I was getting ready to leave, and another 30 to 40 minutes at night as we drifted off to sleep, good spouse, check. My sons, have you ever heard the expression "parenting by phone"? I hope you never do,good father, check. My job, good money and all that went with it, were my frogs. God, my wife, and my sons, in that order, the most treasured people in my life, my reason for living, and I had no time for them. God said let me shift gears for you.
Two days later I left my job. I don't think it was a big deal, and I don't think I was crazy, all I did was say yes to God, he started shifting and I kept my cadence up. If others thought I was crazy, well that was for them to deal with. God, my wife, and sons now received the best of me, not what was left of me. For the first time in a long time I was in a position where I could say yes to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. I was asked to help in the children's ministry, I said yes. Later I was asked to attend winter camp with the kids, I said yes. The following year I was asked again I said yes. And so I entered a time in my life where I was able to make myself available to God, he kept shifting those gears and I kept working on my cadence and saying yes.
The end of a bike race is called the sprint, the cyclist pour every ounce of remaining energy into the last 300 yards in a desperate attempt to be the first to cross the line. It's pretty cool, if you win you get to stand on top of the podium. Neat stuff if your a cyclist. As I kept saying yes, opportunities to say yes kept happening. In '04 I was asked to go on the Jr. high mission trip, I said yes, with out realizing what I was saying yes to. One Sunday in July I, a father of two boys, found myself in a van of seven screaming seventh grade girls. God was shifting, I just kept pedaling. That week God gave me the chance to discuss salvation, baptism, his plans for all of us and the importance of saying yes. The end of that week, we were standing waist deep in the Rock river baptizing four of the girls. The following year I said yes, and found myself waist deep in Lake Superior, five students were baptized. God was shifting, I kept pedaling and discovered God wanted me in the sprint.
End Part II
Back to the frogs. Through Ben's sermon I sensed the leading of the Holy Spirit, it was not the first time I had sensed this particular leading, it was though, the first time I acted on it. I was working in a job that regularly required me to work 50 to 60+ hours per week. The quality of all my relationships was at a low. Relationally I had no cadence. God, yep once a week on Sunday, strong spiritual discipline, check. My wife, 30 minutes in the morning while I was getting ready to leave, and another 30 to 40 minutes at night as we drifted off to sleep, good spouse, check. My sons, have you ever heard the expression "parenting by phone"? I hope you never do,good father, check. My job, good money and all that went with it, were my frogs. God, my wife, and my sons, in that order, the most treasured people in my life, my reason for living, and I had no time for them. God said let me shift gears for you.
Two days later I left my job. I don't think it was a big deal, and I don't think I was crazy, all I did was say yes to God, he started shifting and I kept my cadence up. If others thought I was crazy, well that was for them to deal with. God, my wife, and sons now received the best of me, not what was left of me. For the first time in a long time I was in a position where I could say yes to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. I was asked to help in the children's ministry, I said yes. Later I was asked to attend winter camp with the kids, I said yes. The following year I was asked again I said yes. And so I entered a time in my life where I was able to make myself available to God, he kept shifting those gears and I kept working on my cadence and saying yes.
The end of a bike race is called the sprint, the cyclist pour every ounce of remaining energy into the last 300 yards in a desperate attempt to be the first to cross the line. It's pretty cool, if you win you get to stand on top of the podium. Neat stuff if your a cyclist. As I kept saying yes, opportunities to say yes kept happening. In '04 I was asked to go on the Jr. high mission trip, I said yes, with out realizing what I was saying yes to. One Sunday in July I, a father of two boys, found myself in a van of seven screaming seventh grade girls. God was shifting, I just kept pedaling. That week God gave me the chance to discuss salvation, baptism, his plans for all of us and the importance of saying yes. The end of that week, we were standing waist deep in the Rock river baptizing four of the girls. The following year I said yes, and found myself waist deep in Lake Superior, five students were baptized. God was shifting, I kept pedaling and discovered God wanted me in the sprint.
End Part II
Friday, November 14, 2008
Cadence Part 1
Biking, a passion I have. To live is to bike, and to bike is to live. Okay, I'm not that much of a fanatic, but I am a fan. Last June 7Th, we all remember that day, it's the day it rained in biblical proportions, I was riding in the Trek 100 with Lance Armstrong. Well, more like he was there and so was I, but since it's my story, me and Lance, yes, Lance and I were riding together. The day was simply beautiful, the rains wouldn't come until hours after Lance and I finished. Okay, he finished well before I did, I won't mention him again.
Cadence is the term that refers to your rate of pedal stroke. No matter how the terrain changes, small hills, steep hills, long hills, the goal is to keep that pedal stroke constant. The easiest way to accomplish that is by shifting gears up or down, steeper hills shift into lower gears, straight aways higher gears, simple really. Keep your effort constant, when it gets hard to pedal, shift gears, and keep working on that cadence.
For me cadence is a metaphor. No matter what is going on in my life, or yours, we are required to keep our effort efficient and constant, its the only way we can move forward. Some hills we need to zigzag up, some we just have to stand out of our seat, and some we may have to stop pedaling all together and push our bike up. Sometimes we also need to be reminded to shift gears.
In 2003 I listened to a sermon entitled One More Night With The Frogs. The setting was in Egypt, Pharaoh and his people were enduring the plagues because Pharaoh was to stubborn to let the children of Israel go.
So the frog plague hits, frogs everywhere, in your hair, in your soup, in your bath, in your yard, in your house, everywhere. Moses tells Pharaoh, say the word, I can pray for you and the frogs will go away. To me, Moses says, I can shift gears for you, say the word. Pharaoh does, he says come back tomorrow. Egypt is riding up a hill, their cadence has dropped to almost nothing, Moses volunteers to shift gears for them, Pharaoh chooses to spend another night with his problem.
I took that sermon to heart. I recognized God's voice saying I can shift gears for you, if you let me. The hill I was on was to steep, my cadence had no rhythm. I knew it was time for me to leave the frogs behind, and let God select the gears. I still had to pedal, I just gave up shifting the gears.
End Part 1
Cadence is the term that refers to your rate of pedal stroke. No matter how the terrain changes, small hills, steep hills, long hills, the goal is to keep that pedal stroke constant. The easiest way to accomplish that is by shifting gears up or down, steeper hills shift into lower gears, straight aways higher gears, simple really. Keep your effort constant, when it gets hard to pedal, shift gears, and keep working on that cadence.
For me cadence is a metaphor. No matter what is going on in my life, or yours, we are required to keep our effort efficient and constant, its the only way we can move forward. Some hills we need to zigzag up, some we just have to stand out of our seat, and some we may have to stop pedaling all together and push our bike up. Sometimes we also need to be reminded to shift gears.
In 2003 I listened to a sermon entitled One More Night With The Frogs. The setting was in Egypt, Pharaoh and his people were enduring the plagues because Pharaoh was to stubborn to let the children of Israel go.
So the frog plague hits, frogs everywhere, in your hair, in your soup, in your bath, in your yard, in your house, everywhere. Moses tells Pharaoh, say the word, I can pray for you and the frogs will go away. To me, Moses says, I can shift gears for you, say the word. Pharaoh does, he says come back tomorrow. Egypt is riding up a hill, their cadence has dropped to almost nothing, Moses volunteers to shift gears for them, Pharaoh chooses to spend another night with his problem.
I took that sermon to heart. I recognized God's voice saying I can shift gears for you, if you let me. The hill I was on was to steep, my cadence had no rhythm. I knew it was time for me to leave the frogs behind, and let God select the gears. I still had to pedal, I just gave up shifting the gears.
End Part 1
Friday, November 7, 2008
Being Still
Be still. In my elementary school days at St. Mary’s those words or variations of those words were frequently directed at me. Like the majority of grade school boys I knew instinctively I was not wired to be still, or remain in my desk, or able to remain contained in any way at any time. The funny thing was I was the only one who seemed to know how I was wired. Being still seemed like a logical request from the majority of teachers I ran into during those long ago days.
Be still. Today I see it more clearly. The act, or command to be still indicates something of importance is about to occur and I must be ready to absorb that moment. In the daily commotion of life, one task at hand, interrupted by dozens of more and equally pressing tasks, followed by a myriad of other distractions, makes being still elusive. Being still has become obsolete in our present day.
Be still and know. If I ever can be still for long enough I will know. How can I ever be still? The car needs a lower ball joint, I have to work, I need to see the doctor, someone needs to be dropped off, and someone needs to be picked up, dinner, shopping, mowing, laundry, exercising, cleaning, phone calls, emails, bills to be paid all need to be responded to. Be still and know what? I don’t have the time to be still, does that means I will never know?
Be still and know I am God.
Only in the stillness of my heart, only in the stillness of my soul will I know God. The magnitude of being still only occurs in stillness. I know my wife will proof read this and tell me the last sentence doesn’t make sense, I will leave it in anyway. In the cacophony of our days stillness is drowned out, knowing is replaced by wishing, wanting, and hoping. It doesn’t have to be this way. The psalmist teaches stillness, in the quieting and calming of our selves, we can know God. Stillness is deliberate, knowing is the blessing that follows obedience. Be still and know.
A random thought has been chasing me this week; no one ever denied the tomb was empty.
Be still. Today I see it more clearly. The act, or command to be still indicates something of importance is about to occur and I must be ready to absorb that moment. In the daily commotion of life, one task at hand, interrupted by dozens of more and equally pressing tasks, followed by a myriad of other distractions, makes being still elusive. Being still has become obsolete in our present day.
Be still and know. If I ever can be still for long enough I will know. How can I ever be still? The car needs a lower ball joint, I have to work, I need to see the doctor, someone needs to be dropped off, and someone needs to be picked up, dinner, shopping, mowing, laundry, exercising, cleaning, phone calls, emails, bills to be paid all need to be responded to. Be still and know what? I don’t have the time to be still, does that means I will never know?
Be still and know I am God.
Only in the stillness of my heart, only in the stillness of my soul will I know God. The magnitude of being still only occurs in stillness. I know my wife will proof read this and tell me the last sentence doesn’t make sense, I will leave it in anyway. In the cacophony of our days stillness is drowned out, knowing is replaced by wishing, wanting, and hoping. It doesn’t have to be this way. The psalmist teaches stillness, in the quieting and calming of our selves, we can know God. Stillness is deliberate, knowing is the blessing that follows obedience. Be still and know.
A random thought has been chasing me this week; no one ever denied the tomb was empty.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Two Things...
How many things can we ask for or want? If you are like me, the real answer is more than is good for us. The ideal answer maybe just two things.
Proverbs 30:7-9 "Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
The Old Testament writer's words are as meaningful today as they were when they were first written. Keep me safe from all falsehoods and lies so that I may neither tell them or spread them, or be affected by them. The world is full of lies, schemes, and plots all cleverly designed to take our eyes off of our gracious God without even knowing it. Protect us Lord from this deceit.
The second request has a familiar sound "give me only my daily bread." One thousand years or so later Jesus would echo the same request. In a day and time with refrigerators, freezers, and drive thru windows overflowing with an abundance of food, much of the impact of this request is lost. In the Old Testament, and in the first century, asking for our daily bread was almost asking for life itself. Jesus seemed to say, today is my focus. Feed me Lord, give me life so I may serve you. Tomorrow, if it ever comes, will find the same request on my lips. Daily bread, not things I will be happy with for a moment, forgiveness, not bigger and more improved version of items I have already discarded, protection in your hands God, this is all I ask.
When I focus on God, I have abundance. When I focus on myself I have lack. Lord, give me my daily bread, give me life, that I may serve you.
Proverbs 30:7-9 "Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
The Old Testament writer's words are as meaningful today as they were when they were first written. Keep me safe from all falsehoods and lies so that I may neither tell them or spread them, or be affected by them. The world is full of lies, schemes, and plots all cleverly designed to take our eyes off of our gracious God without even knowing it. Protect us Lord from this deceit.
The second request has a familiar sound "give me only my daily bread." One thousand years or so later Jesus would echo the same request. In a day and time with refrigerators, freezers, and drive thru windows overflowing with an abundance of food, much of the impact of this request is lost. In the Old Testament, and in the first century, asking for our daily bread was almost asking for life itself. Jesus seemed to say, today is my focus. Feed me Lord, give me life so I may serve you. Tomorrow, if it ever comes, will find the same request on my lips. Daily bread, not things I will be happy with for a moment, forgiveness, not bigger and more improved version of items I have already discarded, protection in your hands God, this is all I ask.
When I focus on God, I have abundance. When I focus on myself I have lack. Lord, give me my daily bread, give me life, that I may serve you.
Monday, October 27, 2008
In the cool of the day
Genesis 3:8 has God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Adam and Eve had sinned by this point, and they were hiding from God, as if it were possible to hide from the Creator of the known, and unknown. I read the scriptures and wonder to myself, how could they have been so naive to think they could hide from God. Then a whisper tells me I am even more naive. I have God's written word before me. Scripture tells me what was and what will come. Still in the cool of the day I think I can hide.
Israel went into the wilderness. Joyce Meyers said the distance between Egypt and the promised land could be covered in about an eleven day walk. Israel quit walking with God just like Adam, Eve, and me. Israel trudged for forty years to travel that eleven day walk. If the math is correct, the trek was 14,589 days longer than it needed to be. How much extra time do we spend in the wilderness?
6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Exodus tell us why God is God, this is why we want God, God forgives.
God brings us out of the wilderness, if we desire. Sometimes its 14,589 days longer than it needs to be. Sometimes we need to run. Paul was a runner, Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Paul knew the race was on to spread the Gospel of grace, he was in a race to grace. I like that. Sometimes you have to run before you walk. The day Jesus becomes the Lord of our lives, is the day we become runners.
Israel went into the wilderness. Joyce Meyers said the distance between Egypt and the promised land could be covered in about an eleven day walk. Israel quit walking with God just like Adam, Eve, and me. Israel trudged for forty years to travel that eleven day walk. If the math is correct, the trek was 14,589 days longer than it needed to be. How much extra time do we spend in the wilderness?
6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Exodus tell us why God is God, this is why we want God, God forgives.
God brings us out of the wilderness, if we desire. Sometimes its 14,589 days longer than it needs to be. Sometimes we need to run. Paul was a runner, Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Paul knew the race was on to spread the Gospel of grace, he was in a race to grace. I like that. Sometimes you have to run before you walk. The day Jesus becomes the Lord of our lives, is the day we become runners.
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