Minden UCC Musings

Is it worse now?

2011-06-07T09:04:00.002-05:00

I had an interesting question asked of me last Sunday in church. And no this time isn't wasn't from an inquisitive 5 year old! Someone asked if I thought there were more tornadoes and stuff this year and what I thought of all this "stuff" going on in nature. Of course I had an answer right on the tip of my tongue..."I don't really know I said."

I don't know if there have been more tornadoes this year compared to others, or if they are just hitting populated areas this time around. Of course when they hit populated areas the damage is much worse and we hear about them a lot more. And on the subject of the floods, don't get me started...for thousands of years the rivers flood and nothing happens, then the human race comes along, builds dams and levees and thinks it is control. We build on flood planes and then cry whoa is me when they flood?!?! I'm not trying to downplay the devastation this water will cause cities and especially family's, but the human race's arrogance is mainly to blame there.

I think an implied question, that wasn't overtly asked, was where is God in all of this? A question that comes up often when a disaster strikes. I wish I knew why God allowed suffering to happen at all. Wouldn't it be nicer if we lived in a perfect world where there was no suffering? I suppose we'd call that heaven. One thought is we can't know good if we don't know bad. We don't know joy if we haven't experienced suffering. Another thought says that God just set the world in motion and stays out of its affairs like a watchmaker after he/she finishes the watch. I suppose another thought would be that God is punishing the people somehow.

I'm not sure I like any of those ideas. It is intriguing to think about some of the theories out there, except the punishment one, I don't buy that at all. I think God is right there suffering with the people. I do believe God could stop any of this from happening, but for some reason, known only to God, God chooses not to intervene in that way. I see God in the volunteers that pour in to help strangers, in the stories of people giving until it hurts to help neighbors, and in the renewed sense of community that is felt during the rebuilding efforts. God is there...weeping along with families that have lost loved ones and everything. God is there...when people are reunited. God is there even when God's name is cursed for letting this happen. I can't answer why it happens, but I am confident that God has not deserted us and continues to work through us to let God's love shine through. The question as always...are we listening for the still small voice?

Did Jesus do it?

2011-05-16T09:53:00.002-05:00

What a joy to listen to the questions of a 5 year old! Well, maybe not so much if it is the 100th time he's asked how fast a semi can go, but most of the time the questions are an amazing insight into what goes on in a kid's brain. The family was watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition last night and the little boy on there had brittle bone disease. After explaining to Isaac what it meant to have brittle bones he asked why Jesus made the little boy like that. Come up with an answer to that one will ya!

Maybe a little background will help...Isaac has asked a lot about where God and Jesus live, and we've done our best to explain they are everywhere; including inside us. Well, a 5 year old takes the "inside" you part literally so we get questions like: Why did Jesus make me burp? Did Jesus push a button and make my tummy growl? Why doesn't Jesus stop me from being bad? See literally. Although the fact that he simply accepts the idea that Jesus is inside of him is pretty cool. Maybe there is something to that child like faith once talked about.

So back to his latest question, which is a darn good one if you ask me! Tracy and I simply said we don't know why Jesus made that little boy with bones that break so easily. And that's the truth. Could you explain why some people are born with handicaps and some are born without? We then explained that's why we are so thankful that Jesus has blessed us with health and everything we could possibly want. And we tried to explain a little that seeing people who aren't so lucky should make us thankful and push us to try and help those who aren't so lucky. He simply stared in wonder at the little boy and accepted the answers. Not sure what sunk in, but he was happy.

I'll tell you one thing though...it sure made me glad for all the blessings I have. I had just spoken Sunday morning about being in awe of God, and I was certainly awed at that time because I have so much! Let us all thank God for what we have and remember those who aren't as blessed.

2 months!

2011-05-02T09:20:00.003-05:00

I have to apologize...it has been almost 2 months since I updated this blog. I could blame the hectic pace of the Lenten season and then Easter week and all that, but in the end it is just a lame excuse. So I guess the only blame should fall on me...I was too lazy or just plain forgot. Plus, today is quite a day to put my thoughts down on a blog.

Osama Bin Laden has finally been killed. I find my feelings being mixed. Don't get me wrong...I detested the man and what he stood for. The atrocities that he was accused of and had a hand in planning are horrible, and he deserved to be brought to justice. I've always been fascinated by this extreme group and how a lot of their attacks are on the people and religion they purport to defend. I want to stress this is an extreme group and in no way represents the Islamic religion. There have been a lot of terrible things done in the name of Christianity, and I certainly wouldn't want my faith defined by those extremists...would you?

It is hard to put into words why I seem to have mixed feelings. I do not feel sorry for Bin Laden or his family I guess. I believe it is a good thing he is gone...maybe I just feel a little put off by the outright joy we find in the death of another human being no matter how disgusting his/her actions might have been. I don't know...maybe I just ate some bad eggs for breakfast.

Maybe I just want us to be more aware that Jesus talked a lot more about love and forgiveness then revenge and justice. Again I'm not defending what-so-ever what Osama did, but I think I'm reacting to how easily we can find joy in violence. Oh well...that's what's rolling around in my head this morning, and things might change by the afternoon. You'll have to check out the post next week to see what's going on.

Funny Article

2011-03-21T10:55:00.002-05:00

I received this article from a church member and want to share it with ya'll. The article is from The Island Moon newspaper of Corpus Christi, TX.

Texas Beef Joint Sues Church Over Lightning Strike

Drummond's Bar in Mt. Vernon, Texas, began construction on expansion of their building to increase their business. In response, the local Baptist church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding with petitions and prayers. Work progressed right up until the week before the grand reopening when lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground! After the bar burning to the ground by a lightning strike, the church folks were rather smug in the outlook, bragging about the power of prayer, until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church "was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means." In its reply to the court, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise. The judge read through the plaintiff's complaint and the defendant's reply, and at the opening hearing he commented, "I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but it appears from the paperwork that we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that does not."

A quick glance at snopes.com tells me this story isn't true, but the moral of the story is. Do we continue to stand up for our faith even when it becomes inconvenient or maybe even a little risky? In this fictional story the church members were all to glad to gloat about the power of prayer, but when they were faced with some risks/consequences they were very quick to deny that belief. How often do we believe, or act out our beliefs, only when it is convenient and safe to do so? Will we continue to hold those same beliefs and convictions even when it is easy to do so? Seems that is a true test of where our real strength and heart lies.

Chicken Coma

2011-03-07T10:31:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had the world famous, or at least SW Iowa famous Staley Chicken dinner. There was an awesome turnout, and we had a large number of people helping put the dinner on. It is a lot of work to put the dinner on, but it is neat to see so many people working together to pull it off.

It warms a pastor's heart to see so many people working together, and to see so many faces come and enjoy some good greasy chicken. Now I'm not naive enough to believe that there isn't some tension in setting up and running the dinner...I suppose some friction is inevitable whenever a group of people work together. On the other hand, putting that tension aside and continuing to work together is the way things get done. As the Body of Christ there is going to be times of tension, and/or strain, the goal isn't to eliminate all tension, the trick is how we deal with it. Disagreements and stress/tension is not a sign of an unhealthy church (a lot of tension and stress could be). We are a group of people on a journey together...we are a family, and even "perfect" families have some disagreements and stress. The healthy families can deal openly with the tension and work towards a solution. Unhealthy families push that stress and tension to the back burner and don't deal with it. The trouble with not dealing with that tension is at some point it snaps. The back burner can only hold so much until it boils over and it all comes spilling out.

No read carefully, I'm not saying there is a lot of tension/stress/disagreements happening here at Minden UCC...what I am talking about is how we as a church, and we as families should deal with disagreements. Open communication is the best way to deal any disagreement. If one party doesn't know the other is unhappy then how can a resolution be worked out? If one party continues to put feelings aside in hopes it'll get better or they don't want to rock the boat, then when all that tension snaps and it comes spilling out the problem is usually a lot harder to deal with because there is so much hurt/stress built up. As the answer usually is...talking it out sooner rather than later is much more healthy than just keeping quiet and hoping it'll all get better. So I make a promise to you, if you'll make a promise to me...if there is a disagreement with what's happening here at church, or if there is some stress in your family, promise to talk about it. Talk to the person who you feel is responsible for the tension. DO NOT be confrontational, but just be honest and sincere. Use "I" statements and let it out. The solution might not be 100% to your liking, but I guarantee you'll be happier with the outcome if you know your voice has been heard and you've at least been a part in the decision instead of just burying your head in the sand. A wise pastor once said, "if you agree with me all of the time then you're not thinking." Truer words haven't been spoken.

The Vote is in!

2011-02-21T09:19:00.003-06:00

A cool thing happened yesterday in church...I suppose a few cool things happened, but the vote to go ahead and pursue the sharing opportunity with Peace UCC in Walnut was a unanimous yes. I expected the vote to go well, but unanimous, that is most definitely a Spirit thing. Yesterday was a confirmation of sorts that we are following the Spirit and that God is leading Minden UCC.

It was also fun to have the Sunday school kids sing...they did an amazing job by the way! And the soup dinner to help raise some funds for the Deacon's Fund also went over well. Thank you all to the people who helped make that dinner a success.

If any of you are NASCAR fans the Daytona 500 was yesterday...if you aren't racing fans then I'm not going to bore you with details...and Trevor Bayne won the race. He's a 20 year old kid starting his second race and he pulled it off. Maybe the neatest thing was his responses when interviewed after the race. He seemed genuinely humbled, and he mentioned several times how good God was for giving him and his race team this opportunity. He didn't thank God for giving him the victory, which I hate because it assumes God favored him over everyone else, and he seemed very grounded. One question stuck out in particular. Trevor was asked what he was going to do with his share of the winnings, and he said he had some friends who were missionaries he'd like to support and he mentioned a particular mission. Pretty neat. He had no chance to prepare for the interviews because he never thought he'd have a chance to win, so the answers and the reactions were raw and real. Pretty neat if you ask me and I can be pretty jaded when it comes to athletes and how they talk about their faith. Something about him just captured my attention.

Nothing too exciting running through my head today, so I thought I'd just post some random thoughts. See you next week.

Finding Happiness

2011-01-31T10:03:00.002-06:00

I heard a story about a little puppy that noticed that whenever he was happy, his tail wagged, so he thought he had discovered the secret to happiness. One day he shared the secret of happiness with an older dog. He said, "I have learned that the best thing for a dog is to be happy, and that happiness is in my tail. So I am going to chase my tail; and when I catch it, I shall have happiness. The old dog replied, "I too believe that happiness is a marvelous thing for a dog, and that happiness is in my tail. But I have noticed that whenever I chase my tail, it keeps running away from me; but when I go about my business, it follows me wherever I go.
The Bible has a lot to say about being happy. It doesn't say, "Happy are they who have a lot of money" or "Happy are they who live in big houses and drive fancy cars." It doesn't even say, "Happy are they who only have good things happening to them." What the Bible does say is, "Happy are the merciful, happy are the peacemakers, happy are the pure in heart." The Bible also says, "Happy is he who trusts in the Lord." Many of us are like the little puppy chasing his tail - trying to find true happiness that is always just out of our reach. What we need to do is learn that if we will just go about our business and trust in the Lord, happiness will follow us where- ever we go.

I found that story while doing some research for a sermon, and I don't know who to give credit too, just know it isn't my story!

I love the message though. We spend so much time and energy trying to achieve happiness. Of course we usually equate happiness with more money and more stuff. The trouble is we are never satisfied with more money or more stuff because there is always more. We certainly don't think of happiness in terms of being poor in spirit, meek, insulted, and being persecuted. Yet that is what Jesus is telling us in the beatitudes. It is important to remember that the beatitudes aren't a prescription to happiness, they are simply a reflection God's character and the God's realm. God blesses differently then the world does. God also knows that only true happiness can be found in him. Happiness can only be truly attained if we stop trying so darn hard to prove ourselves and/or ear God's love and stop and realize that God already loves us just the way we are. Once we get out of our own way, and realize that the Spirit working threw us is the key to happiness will we finally feel whole. We need to stop relying so much on ourselves, and rely more on God. Not only will we make better decisions, but we'll begin to see fruits of that union in our own lives. Begin the day with a simple prayer: God I need your guidance and presence in my life today...spend a minute or two quiet and listening...then thank God for another day and be aware of opportunities to experience the Spirit!

God in a Box

2011-01-17T09:35:00.002-06:00

Rev. Nicole Havelka, or Cole, as Isaac kept calling her gave a very thought provoking sermon this past Sunday. She spoke about the ways in which we put God in a box. She talked about how we tend to really limit the ways in which we imagine God working in the world and working in our lives. In the limiting of the ways in which we view God or believe God is working in the world we keep God in a nice little box. She stated that most everyone can tell of a time when God helped them through a sad time, but what about the good times or the times that challenged us and made us grow. Do we see God in those times too?

I think I tend to put God in a box and pull God out when I want to. Sort of like my own personal Gennie(sp?). I will pull God out when I need some help with a situation and/or I want something. Is there something wrong with that? There certainly is, but it is safer to keep God in my little box. If I only see God as helping me with stuff I want then I don't have to listen for God challenging me in other parts of my life. If God stays in my nice little box then I can live the life I want. Opps, did you catch that...live the life that I want! Anyone else guilty of keeping God in the box so God doesn't mess up YOUR plans?! Sounds down right silly when you say it out loud.

We know, at least I hope most of us know, that God has the best plan for our life. I know that, but I also know that God's plans sometimes aren't my plans. God's plan may involve some risk, some moving outside of my comfort zone, and maybe some examining of my life. It is easier to just leave God alone inside the box isn't it? Well it might be easier in the short term, but I can almost guarentee that in the long run we're going to miss a lot of opportunities and blessings that God had intended for us. By trying to control everything ourselves we limit what God can do in our lives. Yes, God can break in and still do amazing things, but we miss so much by trying to keep ourselves comfortable and pain free. I know it is no fun to be stretched, challenged, or pushed outside our comfort zone, but if we don't then we never grow. We don't experience new things and we certainly don't mature very much as Christians.

God can't be put in any box. God will still do God's work in the world whether we open the box or not. If we don't expand our knowledge of God, and honestly let God guide our lives then we might do ok, but we will miss so many blessings and joys and chances to spread the Word of love and grace. Yes we might be challenged, but as my old high school coach used to say..."No pain no gain." And there is some truth in that. We need challenge to grow, and without growth there is death. Which side would you rather be on? Think about it...

The First Real Snow!

2011-01-10T09:29:00.002-06:00

I made the treacherous commute to my office this morning...with the aid of my snow blower of course. I have to admit that I like the snow. I've always thought if it is going to be cold and dreary out a nice blanket of snow makes things look better. On the other hand, last year was a bit extreme. So this can the the first and last real snow storm of the winter and we should all be fairly happy.

I almost spit my coffee out this morning as I was watching the morning news. The topic of course was the shooting in Arizona and they were going to begin the debate concerning if the current political climate had anything to do with the shooting. I guess they were looking at the possibility of a link between the vitriol that comes out of Washington, and political commentators, giving this person a motive. My first reaction was you've got to be kidding me! But as I sit here and let my wonderer wonder a little bit maybe it is a healthy debate to have.

Before I go any further I place the blame for the shooting squarely on the shooter. I am sure the causes are complex and many, but there is no excuse for what he did and he chose to pull the trigger. What I'm interested in looking at is the power of words. People are lazy...we don't want to take the time to read both sides of a story and come up with our own opinion. We'd much rather listen to someone who we believe reflects our view points and let them do the thinking for us. What ends up happening is we just hear one distorted side of the story and that colors the way we think, talk and probably even act a little bit. Why think for ourselves when we can have someone else tell us what to believe. Do I need to explain the danger in that? Not only does this happen in the political world but it happens at church too. People would much rather be told what they should believe then be asked to think for themselves.

I can be guilty of this too. It takes a little work and energy to think for myself, and it takes a little bit of stretching the brain to read the other side of an argument with an open mind. The real scary part is you might find yourself agreeing with the other side or at least parts of it. The real shame is I believe 80% of people are fairly opening minded. The trouble is the voices we hear, political or religious, are from the 20% on the extreme ends of the spectrum. These voices then presume to speak for the rest of us, and the commentary isn't helpful at all because it comes from an extreme point of view with no regard for the other side. I guess what I'm saying, besides venting a little, is that we need to be mindful of what we say and where our info is coming from. We need to take the time to think for ourselves and decide what we truly believe. And, maybe most importantly, we need to take into account what our words and beliefs will do to others. Our Savior did remind us that we are to be caretakers of the world...and that means everyone in it...even those we're convinced are wrong.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T11:51:00.002-06:00

It is 4 days into the new year...how many resolutions have been broken already? I don't believe in resolutions. Mainly because I don't stick to them, and I don't like them because they contribute to a sense of failure when you don't live up to them. Most of us are too hard on ourselves already, and adding pressure to keep some promise made half-heartily after too much bubbly isn't helpful either!

On a serious note I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I was walking through a Target store on the journey home Sunday and they had already started putting up Valentine's Day decorations on some of the end caps! I guess consumerism doesn't slow down for anything. I was doing my best to reflect on Christmas this year and I'm amazed at how fast it is all over and we're back into the "normal" groove of life. It is almost as if Christmas is something to be endured, when in fact Christmas should be life changing shouldn't it. We are celebrating the birth of our savior after all. Disclaimer alert: I'm not railing against Santa Clause and gift giving, just some thoughts about keeping the spirit of Christmas alive all year round.

This year our son Isaac really started to get into this whole Santa Claus thing. In fact he was mad at Santa because he didn't bring him the DSi that he wanted. I know, I know we're terrible parents for not giving him everything he wants. As Isaac was more and more into Santa I found myself wanting more and more to make sure he knew why Christmas even existed. We sang happy birthday to Jesus and had some cupcakes, which is a cute way to remind us of the event. But, more importantly we made sure to let him know, as much as a four year old can understand, how lucky he, we, all of us, are to be able to share gifts and family. By doing my best to stress this to Isaac I was reminded myself how lucky we are. As we were buying the gifts for the Christmas family the church adopted I was completely humbled and thankful for the blessings that abound.

My thought is that as the "normalcy" of life plods along we'll all do a better job of remembering the gifts and blessings that we have. My prayer is that we will remember we are all God's children, loved by God, and called by God to share that good news. If we can do that then the limits of what the Spirit will do in our lives is endless.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T09:14:00.000-06:00

Blogging will resume on December 27th...Enjoy the Christmas break and remember to pause and find Jesus in all of this hustle and bustle.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

2010-12-13T10:07:00.002-06:00

I am convinced that God has a sense of humor. How else can you go from 50 degrees one day to 0 degrees the next? Seriously, I went from jeans and a t-shirt to wondering if I would freeze solid just by stepping outside. You know God was having a good laugh at that. Why do we live here again?
As I'm sure most of you are aware Christmas is rapidly approaching. If you don't have your Christmas shopping done for me yet I can always accept cash and/or gift cards to restaurants! I don't skip many meals. Isaac asks me almost every day on our way to the bus if it is Christmas yet. He has one of those chocolate calendars that you open a window and pull the chocolate out that helps him count down the days. His excitement is contagious and I find myself anticipating the morning they see what Santa has brought them. Of course we can't put any presents under the tree until that night because Alex has figured out what you do with wrapped boxes and he'd be into them in a flash. Speaking of anticipation do we joyfully anticipate the celebration of the birth of our Savior?
There was an email going around about a song that talks about a little boy who is in a mall and asks his mom why all these people are standing in line. She explains to him they are waiting to see Santa. The little boy then asks where's the line to see Jesus? Good question. I know we hear from time to time to remember the reason for the season, and we may honestly try our best to keep the Christ in Christmas...whoa cliche alert....but it is hard and the noise and hustle and bustle of the season easily drown out any notion of religion. What would happen to Christmas if we waited as eagerly for Jesus as we do Santa?
Now I'm not a scrooge. I enjoy the presents and I have no problem with my kids believing in Santa, but I'm always a little conflicted this time of year. It seems that we want Jesus to be part of our lives, but we don't want to put the effort forth to make this happen. We either treat Jesus like a Gennie in a bottle granting our wishes, or we only listen to the comforting words of Jesus. It seems that when Jesus starts pointing out areas of our lives that are lagging, or we find we are challenged either with time, talent or money to give more we tend to let Jesus fall by the wayside. We tend to pick and choose. I know it doesn't work that way. I also know I've been guilty of this selective listening too. What I know is if you want Jesus alive in your heart then you need all of him. You need the comfort and the pain he sometimes brings. The pain in being shown where you fall short and then the comfort and strength to work out the rough spots. But, Jesus can't fully work in your life if you just pick and choose when you want him to be in your life. If you're wondering why you can't feel his presence as powerfully as you'd like, then examine your relationship with Jesus. Are you a picky consumer, or do you allow him into all aspects of your life?

Another post already!

2010-12-06T09:45:00.002-06:00

Can anyone else believe it is almost Christmas?! I was having coffee today at the cafe and someone mentioned it's less than 3 weeks till Christmas. Didn't I just get done stuffing myself with turkey and mashed potatoes! Time moves along so fast one has to consciously slow down to take it all in.

Around our house that past couple of days it has been decorating time. Thankfully this year we've decided not to go all out on the exterior of the house. I convinced Tracy that it is too cold and I can't risk frostbite on my fingers or getting a serious case of pneumonia! How would I work? So we've decided to just put some pretty Christmas trees outside our window and put the indoor tree right in front of our big picture window. I'm sure we'll put some lights around the outside, but Tracy and Isaac have volunteered for that. The real show is in Isaac's room! He as lights hanging from the ceiling!

We finally broke down and bought a nice, pre-lit, fake Christmas tree this year. The real trees are nice, but man are they messy. Plus, with Alex touching everything I'm not sure there would be needles on the bottom 3 feet of the tree! I miss the fresh scent of pine, but the tree does look nice. Yesterday, Tracy and Isaac were busy putting the decorations on the tree. Every two minutes we'd remind Isaac to spread the decorations out, but non-the-less there is about a three foot square section of tree loaded with ornaments! I was laughing as Tracy was trying to get him to spread them out, and then I was a little saddened because in a blink of an eye I bet we are wishing we had this problem to deal with. Soon enough the boys will be "too old" to help decorate the tree or be moved out of the house. I have a strict policy that at 18 you can visit, but you no longer call mom and dad's house your permanent residence!

As Tracy and Isaac finished decorating, or more truthfully Tracy finished because Isaac watched a movie with me, I consciously took the afternoon's festivities in. We are very blessed to be able to decorate a nice warm home, and we are doubly blessed to have presents under the tree and our health. Time moves so fast, and we take so much for granted, that it is imperative that we remember how lucky we are. If you are so blessed, give your family a little extra hug this Christmas season. Find a way to reach out and bless someone less fortunate. This Christmas season, as we do every Christmas, our church has "adopted" a family. This year we need your help in getting the kids some presents and the family some much needed necessities. Will you please prayerfully consider helping them out?

2010-09-13T11:12:00.002-05:00

I just realized that my last entry was about a month ago...I suppose if I'm going to advertise that I have a blog then I should at least update it. Life at Minden UCC has truly picked up. It seems like we are going from event to event these next couple of months. We had our VBS program and Ice Cream Social in August, in September we are providing the food for the Minden Heritage Days, in October we are hosting the Minden Park Renew Crew's Halloween blow out, and then in November we have our Annual church auction! Busy, busy, busy. I didn't even mention the beginning of Sunday school, the 3:16 youth group, and Stewardship month. The Spirit is alive and well here in SW Iowa!

It truly is great to have all of these activities going here. I know these activities require time and energy, but the alternative isn't too pretty. So far we have been blessed with people who have stepped up to help plan and run these events, and I pray we continue to be so blessed. As these events continue to happen I pray that our folks answer the call of the Spirit and find ways to help out. God wants to work through us, God wants to bless us, God wants the Spirit to flow through us and the church, but none of that is going to happen without the Body of Christ...and do you know who the hands and feet and eyes and ears and mouth of the Body are...? Thats right Rita...we are. Please, look around, pray, listen, and volunteer to help. Nothing is worse then having the energy from these events get wasted because the same people are doing the work over and over. If we all pitch in and help then the work is light and the rewards are awesome. No amount of time or energy is wasted, and no matter your age, education level, hair color, or shoe size you can help, because God can work through you.

You see the Spirit moving...do you have the courage and faith to answer the call and be the Body of Christ moving in the world? I hope so...the world needs more of the Spirit.

Vacation Bible School Week!!

2010-08-09T09:30:00.002-05:00

Well, it is finally here...in about 6 hours the church is going to be filled with over 100 kids ready to go "Backstage With the Bible." I think everything is in place and all the leaders are ready. I say I think because my wife Tracy is the one who's in charge of this. She and a few other ladies have planned this week of VBS and I've done my best to stay out of it. Heck, the number of kids has grown each year so why mess up a good thing?
This year is especially exciting because two other churches from Neola have joined us. The energy they've brought, and more kids, has really given us a wonderful opportunity to have a great VBS program. I have also been very impressed with the support we've received from our congregation. The people have been wonderful in helping us by donating supplies and making the snacks. Our congregation has supplied the t-shirts and snacks for all the kids. I do not take for granted how lucky we are to have that great support both with donations and with helpers. Just the other day I was talking to someone who said they knew of a church where VBS was cancelled...not because there weren't enough kids, but because they couldn't get enough help. What a message to send to the kids...! We are blessed with the Spirit here at Minden UCC.
It will be an awesome week seeing all the kids run around and learn and have a good time. It will be a tiring week too, but it will be that good kind of tired where you know you've done something special. Please pray for the kids and the leaders this week.

Family Vacartion

2010-07-22T10:09:00.002-05:00

We just got back from spending a few days in Kansas City. We went to the zoo and Union Station, and spent some time swimming at the hotel pool. This vacation was the first one we went on with just the 4 of us, and it was a lot of fun. The 110 degree heat index at the zoo on Monday was a little crazy, and my TomTom taking us to two Walmarts that were closed was a little silly, but overall we had a good time and we'll even do it again next year!
I've been doing some reflecting on the whole experience, and I've been anticipating the upcoming school year when Isaac starts school, and I am thankful for the milestones we get to experience together. I also saw this morning a special on the Today Show about a family trying to balance sports and family life. This balance is one thing that scares me as our kids grow. How do we find time for family, friends, sports, church, and just being kids? I have no delusions that either of my kids are going pro in any sports, but it seems if I want them to be competent and be able to play even in high school they need to devote their entire lives to sports. Practice, season and out of season games...it seems endless. Now I like sports as much as the next person, but even I see the need for balance. I guess I just worry about striking that delicate balance. Church is important, family time is important, sports participation is important, school work is important...I guess what I'm saying is I'm going to miss the simple life of the biggest worries being the sniffles and which book we're reading before bed time.
I suppose we are not the first parents that struggle with this balance. And I imagine that there is some wisdom to be found about striking a balance in our Christian faith. Jesus doesn't say that we need to cut certain things out of our lives all together, he stresses that we constantly take inventory of the priorities in our lives. It is when those priorities get out of whack we get in trouble. It is when the priorities get out of order we begin to feel like life gets to be too much. When we push our faith life to the rear for an extended period of time we get lost in the rat race and we lose touch with our anchor. The one thing that helps me face these increasingly busy times is the knowledge that my family will be anchored by our faith. We will participate in other activities, but the balance will be maintained. I'm not too naive, I know that there will be times when the scale won't be perfectly balanced, but in the grand scheme of things it will weigh out more evenly. I think if we keep that in mind...that our faith life is our highest priority, then we can run the race without getting lost. I guess we'll see!

My Apologies

2010-06-30T09:18:00.002-05:00

I'd like to give a shout out to my favorite aunt in Martin county! What's up Rita?! My mother informed me that you have missed reading my blog terribly so I thought I had better enrich your life and start writing again! It has been a long time since I posted here. I'd like to say it's because I have been so incredibly busy that I just couldn't find time, but no one is that busy.

Life has been busy...apparently I am a sucker and I decided to coach T-Ball this year. I didn't know what I had gotten myself into, and I was a little nervous about coaching a dozen 4 and 5 year olds. I was pleasantly surprised though. I have enjoyed the experience more than I thought I would, and even though after the first couple of practices I swore I'd never do it again thoughts of a repeat performance have crept into my mind. Even Isaac and I have coexisted on the same team without coming to blows! Ha, actually I have been very proud of Isaac. He has matured a lot playing T-ball. He still gets a little pouty when he can't field all the balls, but he doesn't demonstrate his displeasure by throwing his glove and having a little tantrum any more. Now if I could just keep his mother calm on the sideline!

I share this experience because I have learned some lessons, and I think those lessons speak to all of us. Lesson #1 is don't stand to close to a 4 or 5 year old with a bat. It is amazing how much power they can generate with a swing, and they always like to practice their swing! Lesson #2 is to not be afraid to try new things and step up to help out. I certainly didn't know a thing about coaching T-Ball. I had never done it before, and if you're close enough family you know I do not always have the most patience. But, the town was desperate and I decided to give it a try. You'd have to ask the parents if I'm an adequate T-Ball coach, but the lesson isn't about that. I learned that sometimes you just need to step up and volunteer. God wants to help us and use us, but how many times have we said no to something because w don't think we're qualified, or we think someone else will do it, or we believe we're just too busy. We miss so many opportunities to let God work through us and bless and us a others around us because we don't just step up. There are numerous opportunities for you to help in your community and your church. Remember with God anything is possible. We just need to be willing to take a chance and say we're willing to help. 80% of the work in the church, and most volunteer organizations frankly, is done by 20% of the people. Which side of the percentage are you on and why?

I Wish You Enough

2010-05-03T09:49:00.002-05:00

I don't usually do this, but I wanted to share one of those dreaded "forwards" I received in my inbox. I'm sharing this one because I really enjoyed it, and I think it speaks to us now. It speaks to us because we always want more and we always ask how much is enough. It speaks to us because it reminds us what is truly important.

At an airport, I overheard a father & his daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane's departure & standing near the door she said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough too, Daddy." They kissed goodbye & she left. He waked over towards the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted & needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love & appreciation for all my dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was experiencing. "Forgive me for asking, buy why is this a forever goodbye?" I asked. "I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral," he said. "When you were saying goodbye I heard you say, 'I with you enough,' may I ask what that means?" He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more. "When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things to sustain them." He continued & then, turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory: I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish you enough "hellos" to get you through the final "Goodbye." He then began to sob and walked away.

We need enough to get us by. Too often we think we deserve too much. Too often we dwell on the negative and miss an opportunity. If we focus on having just enough, and looking for life's blessings, then we will stop complaining (as much) about what we don't have and begin to appreciate life more.

Get Out of the Boat

2010-04-12T13:21:00.002-05:00

Jesus is still looking for people who will get out of the boat. Why risk it? I believe there are many reasons: 1)It is the only way to real growth. 2) It is the way true faith develops. 3) It is the alternative to boredom and stagnation that causes people to wither up and die. 4) It is part of discovering and obeying your calling.
I believe there are many good reasons to get out of the boat. But there is one that trumps them all: The water is where Jesus is. The water may be dark, wet, and dangerous. But Jesus is not in the boat. The main reason Peter got out of the boat is that he wanted to be where Jesus was. Matthew keeps referring to this reality. Peter's request is, "Lord, if it's you, command me to come to you." Then Peter got out of the boat "and came towards Jesus."
Because Peter did this, both he and his friends came to a deeper understanding of their Master than ever before. They came to see more than ever that they could place their destinies in his hands with confidence. "It's like this, dudes..."
They understood that the One in their boat was the One along who treads the waves of the seas-and they worshiped him.
How about you? When was the last time you got out of the boat?
I believe that God's general method for growing a deep, adventuresome faith in us is by asking us to get out of the boat. More than hearing a great talk, or reading a great book, God uses real-world challenges to develop our ability to trust in him.
We tend to seek a world of comfort. We try to construct manageable lives with some security and predictability to maintain the illusion that we are in control.
Then God "pass us by" and shakes everything up. The call to get out of the boat involves crisis, opportunity, often failure, generally fear, sometimes suffering, always the calling to a task too big for us. But there is no other way to grow faith and to partner with God.

-If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat- John Ortberg

Christian Twitch

2010-04-05T10:23:00.002-05:00

"I remember in an airport in Kansas City years ago, waiting for a plane, I fell into conversation with a fellow from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. He was in this county completing a monograph, a study on the influence of the conversation between doctors and nurses with the patient in surgery who is under anesthesia. His view was, in fact, that he had established it beyond all doubt. He found that if the doctors and nurses were negative and gripey and grumpy, then the patient in postoperative conditions was depressed and pessimistic. If the doctors and nurses were upbeat, happy, merry, and cheerful, then the patient in postoperative care was euphoric and optimistic and proceeded to recover quickly. The time came when I had to catch my plane. I thanked him for the conversation, and he said, 'Why, are you a doctor?' I said, 'Oh, no, I'm a preacher. But if it'll work in surgery, it'll work in the sanctuary.' So when I go somewhere to speak, and people are asleep, it doesn't' bother me, because I know that several days later they may get a little Christian twitch. They won't know what caused it, but I'll know.'
-Fred Craddock- Craddock Stories

I loved that story from Fred. Not that anyone would ever fall asleep during one of my sermons! I liked the story too because it reminds me that you never know when the Spirit can come into your life. That is why it is so important to be ever vigilant in your faith life. Find time to connect with God, because when you do you'll open yourself up to more and more experiences with the Spirit. The more time we spend in communion with God then the more ability we'll have to see the Spirit working in our lives and in the world. We'll get that twinge and know that it's the Spirit and not last nights burrito! If you want to be good at anything you have to practice at it. If you want your faith to be a bigger part of your life then you need to practice it. God is truly all around us. We just need to open our eyes and recognize.

Discover Your Lost Brother

2010-03-22T10:14:00.002-05:00

Holy cow! As I am going through this Lenten devotional by Henri Nouwen I am amazed at how pertinent some of his devotions are to what's going on today. Read this one.

"Rediscover your enemy as your brother or sister. Rediscover that the lost brother or sister your dislike and reject is really your brother or sister within our precious human family. God invites us to discover ways to be less self-righteous, to sit at the same table together, and see each other with welcoming and accepting eyes. Stay close to the weak. I say this because this is the way of God. How did God finally reveal true love for us? By sending his beloved Son to be with us where we are poor. 'I have come for the lost sheep.' God chose the descending way to reveal to us how deeply we are loved, and how we have much love to offer each other. It is such a wonderful sign for us that Jesus chose the 'downwardly mobile' way to be one with us at the same table. This is God's way, lived in the flesh by Jesus, and given for our consolation and example. 'I'm sent into the world by the Father to bring Good News to the poor.' How very beautiful, very mysterious, and very true!"
-Henri Nouwen

Reread that first paragraph again. Rediscover your enemy as your brother or sister. As the political climate continues to deteriorate (I'm not making a comment on specific legislation) and the two sides hurl insults one wonders where the humility and idea of serving others has gone. And before we are too quick to point fingers at our elected representatives we must remember to take a look at ourselves. Where in our lives are our enemies? Have we cut them off and cast them aside? Have we left no opening for forgiveness or reconciliation? Have we given up the possibility that maybe they are more like us than we'd like to admit? Should we take a hard look at ourselves and see how we're living our lives before we condemn others? I think we should. If we want to move forward with anything we need to be willing to forgive, to have honest dialogue, and most importantly give up our self-righteous attitude that we're always right and whoever disagrees is always wrong. That attitude sure doesn't sound like loving others as Jesus has loved us. We need to remember that we are called to be servants. We need to remember that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Our needs do not always come first. I think Michael Jackson said it best when he said something to the effect that if we want change then we need to start by looking in the mirror.

Love in Return for Love

2010-03-17T10:25:00.002-05:00

"God wants us to love God. That is the vulnerability of our God. The theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, 'Guilt is the idol hardest to break down.' Guilt may be our idol, especially if we cling to it in our hearts. We mull over past events, somehow hoping that by rethinking them they might become good events. We relive all the feelings around our poor choices, wishing we'd said or done otherwise. But trying to rethink the 'bad' past into a 'good' past not only doesn't work, it makes the guilt greater. It is a very difficult challenge, to let go of the past, because your particular past is yours alone and is true for you. Thus it becomes like an idol that you must carry with you at all times. But the guilt must go, otherwise you are indirectly competing with God. God is saying, 'I have always loved you and I love you now. I want you to receive my love.' And you and I are saying, 'You can't love me, God, because I'm so bad. By thinking about my past I will prove to you that I am beyond forgiveness.'"
-Henri Nouwen

It is never God who prevents us from being loved or feeling the presence of the Spirit. We are the ones who get in the way of that love and that connection. We either convince ourselves that God isn't paying attention to us or that we aren't worthy of God's love. Both scenarios keep us from the relationship that God desires from us. If we could only learn to live in the present. To let the past go and know that God loves us, has loved us, and always will love us. Then we wouldn't be trying to fill that void in our lives with all this stuff. If we could let ourselves be loved then that void would be filled and our relationship with God and the Spirit would grow. We need to get out of our own way. God loves you...all of you...just as you are...deal with it!

Returning to Trust

2010-03-01T10:29:00.002-06:00

"In my own life I well know how hard it is for me to trust that I am loved, and to trust that the intimacy I most carve is there for me, I most often live as if I have to earn love, do something noteworthy, and then perhaps I might get something in return. This attitude touches the whole question of what is called in the spiritual life, the 'first love.' Do I really believe that I am loved first, independent of what I do or what I accomplish? This is an important question because as long as I think that what I most need I have to earn, deserve and collect by hard work, I will never get what I most need and desire, which is a love that cannot be earned, but that is freely given. Thus, my return is my willingness to renounce such thoughts and to choose to live more and more form my true identity as a cherished child of God." -Henri Nouwen

If we could only stop trying so hard to earn God's love, we could start living as someone who is already loved deeply by God. We spend so much time trying to earn favor that we get frustrated because we know we aren't good enough and that leads to a sense of despair. If we could only accept that God loves us just as we are, and begin to live our lives as someone who knows they are loved and accepted, we could take that energy wasted trying to get God to love us and put it towards living a grateful life because we're loved. God loves you! Stop trying to earn that love. Instead, accept God's love and do your best to live a life that your loving God would be proud of.

Promise

2010-02-23T08:59:00.002-06:00

Whoa...I just read my post from last week and I've already failed at my challenge to pray twice a day. Good thing there is grace and forgiveness! I'm going to try again though so don't think you're off the hook. I've preached one or three sermons now in the season of Lent and I've decided to focus on our need to connect with God. We need to be intentional in seeking that connection and even more diligent in keeping outside distractions from breaking that connection. Without our daily intentional connection with the Spirit we can easily miss God's still small voice in our lives and the opportunity to bask in God's presence. I think I preach on our need to be in communion with God because it is something I know I need and don't always do a great job of getting. As I said before good thing there is grace and forgiveness!

Today I was thinking about a topic and I was reminded of the Old Testament verse from Genesis I'm going to preach on Sunday. (Don't worry Carroll it won't be an exact copy of my blog.) :-) The verses come from the 15th chapter and they are God's covenant with Abram. God promises Abram land and descendants. Some of the language and ritual around the sacrifice and covenant ceremony doesn't make much sense to us today, but safe to say the cutting of the animals in half was an ancient way to do a covenant. Today we'd have lawyers present and there would be a lot of signatures. The interesting part of this covenant between God and Abram is not the way in which it was sealed, but in who is making the promises. Read verses 1-12 and see who is doing the promising. God is saying that Abram and his descendants will inherit this land. God is the one doing all the talking. God's promises of descendants and land is not contingent on Abram at all. This covenant/promise is unconditional. Abram has done nothing to deserve this great blessing and he can do nothing to have this promise broken because God is doing all the promising.

It is important to note that unconditional promise here in Genesis because as the history of Israel unfolds the promise starts to have some conditions put on it. We could certainly enter into a lively discussion about what the addition of conditions means, but that would be for another post. Let's focus on the first promise of land and heirs made to Abram and how it was unconditional. That promise is still valid for us today. No, God isn't promising us the promised land, riches, and/or children. God is promising to be with us, to love us, to never leave us or forsake us and to always work for God's purpose in our lives. This promise to us is also unconditional. It isn't affected by how we act or don't act. God has promised us forgiveness and grace as long as we honestly repent and are sorry for our sins. I think that promise can't be overstated as we journey through Lent. As we are asked to work on bettering our connection with God and to take an honest look at our spiritual lives we need to keep in mind that even if we aren't satisfied with what we see God loves us just the way we are. God loves our imperfections and all.

As a parting word we can't take that unconditional love for granted and abuse it. Yes, we can't do anything to make God love us less, but that doesn't mean we have an excuse to live however we see fit and then go back and ask for forgiveness. Asking for and receiving forgiveness is only done when we are truly sorry for what we've done and we have an honest desire to not do it again and to try to live better. We should be living a life filled with gratitude for what God has done for us, and there is no better way to thank God for the unconditional love then to live a life that demonstrates that same unconditional love to all creation as best we can. Let the freedom and joy of knowing that God loves you, warts and all, allow you to honestly confess your sins and seek a better connection allowing you to live a more spirit filled life.

You've Got to Pray

2010-02-15T13:26:00.002-06:00

"The proper way for man to pray," said Deacon Lemuel Keyes, "and the only proper attitude, is down upon his knees."
"No, I should say the way to pray," said Reverend Dr. Wise, "is standing straight with outstretched arms, and rapt and upturned eyes."
"Oh, no, no, no!" said Elder Slow, "Such posture is too proud; a man should pray with eyes fast closed, and head contritely bowed."
"It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front. With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,"
Said Reverend Dr. Blunt. "Las' year I fell in Hodgkin's well head first," said Cyrus Brown."With both my heels a-stickin' up, my head a-pointin' down;"an' I made a prayer right then an' there...

"Cyrus Brown's Prayer" by Sam Walter Foss

"You've got to pray just to make it today" MC Hammer

Two good quotes. One about the "right" way to pray and the other about the importance of prayer in our lives. I've been thinking about a challenge for Lent. I'm not big on sacrifices so I like to come up with some sort of challenge to try for Lent. This year the challenge is going to be saying a prayer twice a day for the entire season of Lent. It doesn't matter when the prayer is, but it may be easier to pray just before you get up in the morning and then again right before you go to bed at night. It doesn't matter when you pray, just so that you do so.

I can hear some people resisting because they don't know the "right" way to pray. Well there is no right way to pray. It is just about your conversation with God. There is no right formula and no magic words that you can use. When I'm asked about praying all I say is to make sure that you thank God for your blessings (make sure your thanks outweigh your requests) and that you take time to listen for God's response. If all we do is talk then it is hard to hear the response. Don't let the thought of talking to God or Jesus intimidate you either. I had a chaplain supervisor tell me once to just pretend Jesus is sitting in a chair next to you and have a conversation with him just as you would a good friend there. Don't worry about doing it right...Just do it (as someone else says).

My challenge to myself will be to committ to pray twice a day during Lent, and hope that carries on past this season also. Will you accept the challenge and see how the power of prayer can change your life?

Amazing!!

2010-02-08T11:07:00.002-06:00

I am amazed and proud of the way our church and community stepped up to the plate for the Wolfe Family. We held our Spaghetti Dinner/Benefit yesterday and let's just say the money raised was way beyond my expectations. Even with the snowy weather we raised approximately $4000!! We do not have the complete totals yet so don't quote me exactly, but we should be very close to that number. AWESOME is what comes to mind.

The out pouring of support shows us what a community can do when we come together to support one another. Beyond the monetary support I received numerous offers to help the Wolfe family in any way possible. What a tremendous example of the Body of Christ coming together to support one of its members. To me there is not better example of Christian love and support. People gave of their time, talent and money to help someone in need. This Spirit of giving and helping others is exactly what Jesus calls us to do. Let's pray that this generous Spirit does not end with this benefit. There are numerous ways we can continue to spread the same love and Spirit with our entire community. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!

Going Grey

2010-02-01T10:17:00.002-06:00

Well it is official I suppose. I have officially become old in my children's eyes. Isaac asked me this morning how old I was. I told him and he said geez dad that's old! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Then, he says something about the graying of my hair! Sometimes I think that little fart is too smart for his own good.

I don't know why that stung a little bit. I know full well that 32 isn't old and I also know that gray hair is better than no hair; at least for now! Also, age has never been a big deal for me. I had a couple friends that hit 30 and it was a big deal for them, but I guess I've never worried about it. I don't mind getting old, really I don't. Maybe I don't want to be old or old fashioned in my kids eyes. I suppose I want to be the cool dad, but I can't let that happen because I'm going to relish embarrassing my kids. I think that's why we don't have a girl...God is protecting her from me and all the issues she'd have to work through from the emotional scars she would acquire growing up with me as a dad!

Getting older means getting more mature right? Well, in some areas of our lives it should. As we experience more and more of life we get a better understanding of how the world works. We realize that we have more and more responsibilities and can't keep acting like we did 5, 10, 15 years ago. As we get older we should mature in our faith life too. Just as life experiences make us more mature those same experiences cause our faith to grow too. As we struggle through tough times and come out the other end we begin to understand that God will see us through. As we continue to study God's word and see how it can help us through life we begin to understand the importance it has in our lives. As we are generous with what has been given to us (talent, time, money, etc.) we see how God blesses our lives, and others, through our generosity. As we see how our attitude and how we treat others affects how we interact with the world and receive God's blessings.

What's that? You don't see this happening? Did you know that most adults have an elementary Sunday school understanding of the Bible? Has your faith grown? It doesn't happen automatically. Yes life experience can help us grow in our faith, but we need to be studying the Word and being in community with other believes to truly help our faith grow. If there is one thing we should know by being in a farming community it is that you need to water something to make it grow. Well "water" for your faith is Bible study, prayer, devotion, and worship. Without those how can you expect to learn more and grown? And if your faith doesn't grow then how can you expect it to continue to be a sense of strength for you? Does an 8th grade level of spiritual maturity help a 32+ year old make sense of life? I don't think so. Consider this a challenge to grow your faith. If you feel like your faith life has grown stagnant then it is a good possibility you've stopped watering it. There are many opportunities to feed and grow your faith. Will you take advantage of them?

I tried not too...

2010-01-25T11:19:00.002-06:00

I didn't want to do it. I promise I tried my best not too, but I can't hold it back anymore...WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE SPRING! Geez! As I sit in my office this morning, during a blizzard warning mind you, I wonder how we're getting the kids home from school? We are the only school in Pott county I think in session. Someone in charge of that has some explaining to do.

Okay that's out of my system. I honestly don't have much on the mind today..save the jokes. I have a great idea for the Musings in our monthly newsletter The Cornerstone and I don't want to just repeat it here.

I suppose I could vent a little about the Vikings loss last night. Not only was it a loss, but it was a heart wrenching loss too. To be so close and then have it ripped away hurts a little. I do enjoy sports, but I don't get so involved that it ruins my day or even night. I slept good and Alex has begun to sleep through the night more and more so that makes me happy. Sports for me is a nice distraction, but I can't get too involved because other aspects of life are much more important and deserve my energy. And I have to relay that too my kids too. Quick story..

Last night we told Isaac that the Saints were ahead and he started getting all sad and began to cry. He was genuinely upset that the Vikes were losing. After I controlled my laughter because it was cute, we had a heart to heart talk. I did my best to explain to a 3 year old that we like the Vikings but it's just a game. Watching and cheering for them is fun, but it doesn't have a bearing on our lives. Not sure he understood, but when the Vikes eventually lost he wasn't so despondent. Not sure if we made any headway with him but it was a wonderful reminder to me that sports are just a nice distraction. I wanted to be angry and throw things, but I saw my 3 year old there and was immediately reminded that true happiness comes from family, faith and friends. I'll continue cheering for the MN sports teams. I'll continue being disappointed in their losses. I'll also continue to remember that there are better things in life. So, until next year GO VIKES AND GO TWINS!!

Wisdom of kids

2010-01-18T08:57:00.002-06:00

Over Christmas break my son Isaac and Tracy's sister Darcy were watching the movie Apollo 13. When the capsule has some difficulty and there are scenes of family members crying Darcy looks over and Isaac is crying too. She asks, "what's the matter Isaac?" And he replies, "When are they going to see their family again?" He was concerned that the astronauts wouldn't be with their families again and he was sad. There have been a number of times when we're watching a movie or some television show and Isaac will get quiet and I will ask what's wrong and he'll be worried about the family. Already he knows the comfort and support that can be found inside of a family and he has a very empathetic side too. As for when he was watching Apollo 13 Darcy explained that everyone will be okay and he was comforted by that but he wouldn't stop watching until the families were reunited. Sometimes I wonder if kids are wiser than we are.

Of course us adults know that families aren't perfect, that all families don't get reunited, and that not all people find comfort in earthly families. But, we can take comfort in knowing that we are all part of a bigger family. We are all God's creation/children whether we want to acknowledge it or not. Unlike earthly families God loves us unconditionally. No matter what we do God's love for us never changes and God always desires that we turn to God for comfort, help and wisdom. We cannot drive ourselves too far from God. Nothing we do can separate us from God's desire for us to be part of the divine family. Do you get the picture? The relationship we have with God cannot be irreparably damaged. God always wants us as part of the family.

We can take great comfort in knowing that God is always there for us. No matter how far we feel from God, the Spirit is right next to us waiting for us to open ourselves to the power. Just as my 3 year old takes comfort in knowing that he has a family that loves and supports him, although we're far from perfect, and he knows that families help others, I believe that being part of God's family can help us through anything. We just need to believe and accept that God loves us just as we are. We need to be able to accept ourselves in order to allow God to use us. Maybe what we need is the childlike faith and belief that families are great support and vehicles of love. Maybe we need the innocence and optimism of a child to see past all the heartache and cynicism of this world and believe that God loves us and that power exists and wants to be in relation with us. Maybe we just think too much...

A Fresh Start

2010-01-04T10:41:00.003-06:00

There is nothing quite like the start to a New Year. I don't really get into celebrating the coming of the New Year too much. Just a night out with some friends is really enough. I can do without the headache from too much champagne the night before! It's an accomplishment for me to make it too midnight. What I like about the turning of the calendar to the New Year is the sense that we get a chance to start anew. The sense that there is the whole year ahead of you and you can do things better this year. No matter what has happened the past year you get a chance to make some promises, or resolutions, that you'll do better this time around. What an awesome opportunity.

Of course about 2 to 4 weeks later reality sets in and the "new" year begins to look a lot like the past year only with you getting older. How many promises, or resolutions (I really dislike that word), have we kept? If you are like me....none. Oh, if I'm lucky I'll make it a month or two eating better and exercising regularly, but pretty soon old habits creep back in. Maybe we should be singing "old habits be forgot" instead of "old acquaintances be forgot." That to me would be a better New Year song. Just making a promise, or resolution, doesn't do any good of course. You need to make some concrete changes if you really want this year to be different. I am not about to offer any advice on how to do that since I'm no shining example myself, but what I do want to touch on is how God offers us a fresh start AND the power to change every day.

Just as the beginning of a new year can spark a sense of hope and renewal in us God offers that same hope and forgiveness for past misgivings no matter what time of year it is. God is always ready to listen to a repentant heart. God is always ready to forgive us. Maybe most importantly of all God is always ready to help us become a better person. God is always ready and willing...the trick is are we. It takes some guts to pour out our failings to God, and it takes even more faith to earnestly want God to work on us and change us. When we truly allow God to work in our lives then we are giving God control of what happens. We don't like giving up control. But, if we really want our lives to change then we need to let God work on us. We don't have the strength to do it, or at least I don't. We need the help of the Spirit, and we need to be willing to let the Spirit grind down the rough edges. If we truly let God work on us, then the changes will be concrete and everlasting. The hard part of course is letting go and letting God. Take the spirit and hope of this new year and open yourself up to the calling of the Spirit. You'll be amazed at what promises, or resolutions, you can keep!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T09:12:00.002-06:00

Not too much on my mind this week. Looking forward to a great Christmas with the family. Amazed that Isaac has left the presents under the tree alone! He has certainly gotten into this whole Christmas thing. He even picked out a couple of his toys that he could give to a little boy or girl who wasn't getting toys this Christmas. He digs Santa, he kinda understands Jesus being born, so we're going to have to keep working on getting him to understand why we get to celebrate this season every year.

Maybe that's the challenge to all of us. To make sure we remember why we celebrate this season. No real words of wisdom to help with that fact. Call a friend, call a family member, call a neighbor you haven't talked to in a long time and wish them a Merry Christmas. Spread the Spirit of Christ!

Merry Christmas

Let it snow!

2009-12-09T14:23:00.003-06:00

Wow! There are piles of snow everywhere. It is not even the middle of December and Tri-Center has used both of it's built in snow days, and I'm not sure Minden has any more places it can pile the snow. Isaac keeps wondering when it's going to warm up so he can go outside and the snow will melt. I told him to brace for a long winter!

I like a Facebook post that I read this morning about people risking their lives, and the lives of rescuers who have to help them if stranded, by going to work in this terrible weather. The post stated that maybe they should take this snow day as a sign from God that you should stay home and recuperate and/or spend time with family. (not a direct quote but the general gist of the posting) I could not agree more. I suppose some jobs are vital, and that if you don't show up for one day you'll either be fired our the company will crumble. Although my hunch is those types of positions are far and few between. Is it really worth life and limb to get to work when the Interstates are closed, or at least no travel is advised, and the two lane highways are impassible? Does your boss really expect you to risk it all for one days work? You mean to tell me there is no way you can make up for it the next few days if you have to? I guess I'm not in the corporate world, and for good reason, but I find it hard to believe any one person is that valuable where they can't miss a day when the weather is horrible.

I mean today was a bullet proof excuse to stay home. Spend some time with the kids, the grandkids, your spouse. Spend some time alone just recharging. People always talk about how busy they are, and then they're presented with a golden chance to take some time for themselves but they can't bring themselves to do it. Is our work truly that important? I know jobs are important, but worth risking your life for over missing one day? I think we get so tied into our jobs because a lot of our self-worth and self-esteem are tied into our careers. How high we are on the social ladder is dependent on how much we make or what our careers are. Our identity is tied into our jobs, and that is sad. Who we are is not what we do for a living? Yes our careers tell us a bit about ourselves and where we are in life, but they have no representation on what kind of a person we are. Yes what we do for a living is a big part of our lives, but our jobs should not be our sole source of identity. Because we tie our self-identity so closely with our jobs we feel that we have to be there all the time, we have to over perform, the company can't go on without us, and God forbid what happens if we miss some time and the company still goes on? Does that mean we're replaceable? I have news for you...we are all replaceable.

If I could be known for one thing in this world, it would be that I was a good father. I certainly want to succeed at my job, but not at the continued expense of my family. Yes there are times when the job interferes with family life, but I will not let it become the norm. If the job demands too much of me then maybe I'm in the wrong line of work. If I can't take one day, when the weather is horrible, and spend it at home with the family because I can't stand missing any work or don't think I can, for even one day, then maybe my priorities are messed up. God provides opportunities for us to recharge and reconnect. Are we missing them because we believe we're too busy? Where are our priorities? Sometime else to chew on besides goodies this Christmas Season!

Being Thankful

2009-11-23T09:56:00.002-06:00

The forgotten holiday...That's what my dad mentioned on Saturday when we were discussing plans around Thanksgiving. Is that what Thanksgiving has become? The holiday sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas? I understand why it happens. Halloween is a multibillion dollar holiday and Christmas is a multibillion dollar holiday. Thanksgiving isn't nearly the money maker so the consumer driven society tends to push it aside. But the Friday after is certainly a holiday! Just ask my wife! I think we need to be careful ourselves to make sure we don't forget Thanksgiving, and more importantly the spirit of the holiday. I know we've heard it so much, but we need to pause and truly give thanks for how lucky we have it.

As I was lying in bed this morning wondering if Alex(my 3 month old) was going to get up or not and I tried to name all the stuff I was thankful for. Lately I've just had this gnawing sense that I need to be more mindful of how good I truly have it. To that end, I thought I would earnestly try to name all the things I'm thankful for. As I was going along I found that I take a lot of things for granted...A LOT! For instance I woke up, which is a good start to any day, I was in a nice comfortable, warm bed. I had warm water instantly, I flipped on the TV to catch game highlights. Heck, when my first concern is who won the football game last night I know I have a lot to be thankful for. I had whatever I wanted for breakfast at hand and I had a job to go to. These are things to be thankful for and I haven't even left the house yet. Oh yeah I have a roof over my head. I have a great family, both immediate and far away. The list could literally go on and on...but how often do we actually feel thankful and grateful for all we have. Compared to much of the world I'm living as royalty and I hardly ever think of that thought when I'm complaining that my coffee is cold or not sweetened right! We truly have no idea how good we have it, and the one day we should truly try to be grateful is in danger of becoming Black Friday Eve and Thanksgiving will be forgotten.

I know I can never be grateful enough for what I have and what I've been given. The only way I can even try is to attempt to live the best life I can. Giving as much of myself as I can to help others. Trying to live the example that Jesus Christ gave us. Trying to be the best human being that I can. I know I'll fall short, but if I put for the honest effort and try to be better each time I fail then I'll truly be doing all I can to be say thanks for everything. Think of the difference in the world if we all tried to live like that. Will you try with me?

God's Energy

2009-11-09T09:23:00.002-06:00

I have a confession to make. This past Sunday I had zero energy to do church when I got up in the morning. Do you ever have one of those mornings when you get up and all you want to do is go back to bed? You don't have the gumption to face the day and a few more hours spent under the covers would be perfect. Well that was me on Sunday. I can't even blame Alex for keeping us up because he slept pretty good. I don't know what it was. I didn't feel very perky. I asked Tracy if she wanted to preach for me and she politely declined. So I got up and went about my day. Amazingly the Spirit met me at the church doors and I was given the shot in the arm that I needed. Those that were at the worship service on Sunday can be the judge if that shot did any good, but it sure helped me out mentally and spiritually. Now if that dumb computer would only get that shot!

I'm amazed at how many times I have found myself grumpy or low on energy or feeling sorry for myself and had the Spirit come and lift me up. Sometimes I ask for it and sometimes I don't, but each time I certainly needed it and knew I was in the presence of something greater than myself. Ever have those experiences? I hope so. Isn't it wonderful that we have a God that loves us enough, and knows us well enough, that he enters our lives and gives us a boost when we need it most? The creator of the universe has the time to interject in our lives. Truly amazing when you think about it.

The question then moves to how do we thank God for all God has done for us? Do we say a little prayer of thanksgiving? A prayer would be a good start. Do we reflect that grace and mercy shown to us in our own lives? I think living a life that is Spirit filled would be the best way to show God our gratitude for all that has been done for us. During adult Sunday school we discussed what the difference was between being religious and having a relationship with Jesus. One main difference we all agreed on was that having a relationship means our lives have to reflect what we believe and profess. One can be religious...say and do all the right things, but still have no relationship and no evidence of God in the lives. It is impossible to have a true relationship with Jesus, God and/or the Spirit and not have that evidenced in your life.

I left the Sunday school with a question, and I'm going to close with this same question: "If someone who didn't know you at all looked at your life, would they be able to tell you have a relationship with Jesus, God and/or the Spirit?" Take a good look at the life you're living. Could a neutral observer tell you are a Christian? Look beyond church attendance and see if the life you live reflects the words you read in Scripture. I'll admit that I don't always like the answer when I ask myself that question. I try to ask it often and it serves as a reminder that a true relationship has to be reflected in my life. What's reflected in yours?

Great Day!

2009-11-02T13:58:00.003-06:00

I apologize that I haven't updated the blog for awhile. I was on vacation and then the week after vacation just got away from me. I hope that you were able to control the craving for my postings during that 2 week absence. I imagine it was tough for many of you! Not sure I should mention this our not, since it is salary discussion time around here, but I just spent the better part of this morning with the family at the Omaha Zoo. It was a gorgeous day, the kids and Tracy behaved themselves and we had a great time. We could have spent the entire day watching a baby gorilla and the baby orangutans playing with burlap sacks. It was also funny to watch a couple gorillas eat. Both were in the same cage and there was two of everything for them but they would hold as much as the could and eat as fast as they could for fear the other might get something of theirs. Good times.

We decided to go to the zoo with the kids because Tracy is going back to work on Wednesday so our amount of free time will be cut and we won't be able to just pack up and go as easily. We wanted to spend one last day at the zoo just strolling around before the hectic schedule of the holidays picks up and life begins to whiz by. I spent the entire day just relishing the time and laughing at Isaac and the stuff he comes up with. What I wouldn't give for the ability to know what a 3 year old is thinking.

I'm sure in the years to come we'll look back on times like these and wish for them again. When the pressures of school and sports and all that comes with growing up makes us wish for the "good ole" days when our biggest worries were colds, keeping sight of the kids, and hoping they learn to share. I find myself torn between the excitement of wanting the kids to grow and watching them learn and mature and the sadness knowing that we can never get these days back again.

You really do have to stop and smell the roses if you will. As life continues to flash by at light speed I wonder if we need to slow down and enjoy our relationship with the Spirit more too. I've spoken and written a lot about our need to make sure we have devotional time with God. I also think we need to make sure we enjoy the relationship with have with God. What I mean by enjoy is that we need to stop comparing our spiritual journey and life with others and be thankful with what we have. Of course our relationship could be better, and we need to be diligent in strengthening the relationship, but we also need to learn that our relationship is ours and not to be compared with others. When life is going good and cruising along we need to recognize that and be thankful and just soak it up. Because, we know that eventually life will turn and we'll be longing for the "good ole" days. I also believe that if we take the time to acknowledge and enjoy our relationship with God, when we can, then when the tough times come we'll have memories of the better times and be reassured that they will come again. Just like we can miss great chances to experience wonderful things with our family if we get lost in the busyness, we can miss chances to strengthen and enjoy more fully our relationship with the Spirit if we only acknowledge it and use it when times are tough. So I urge you to spend some quality time with loved ones, and to spend some quality time with God. Both are wonderful chances to recharge and get us ready for the daily grind that is ahead.

It's MY money!

2009-10-12T09:08:00.003-05:00

I don't usually do this, but I want to recap the sermon I gave on Sunday. I'm not recapping it because I have any delusions it was a wonderfully delivered sermon. I think the lesson for us is too important to not hear it again. If you heard the sermon then yes I am talking about money...specifically what you do with your money. (Please keep reading)

Before you get all excited this isn't a plea for you to give more money to the church. On the other hand, it is a challenge as to what we do with our money. I want to start off with a quote I heard once from somewhere. I think it was a seminary professor or someone: "Show me a person's checkbook and I'll show you what they love." Apply that to your checkbook. Where does most of the money go? Church, non-profits helping the less fortunate, restaurants, entertainment, kids, house? Now, let's be clear...I'm not saying your church or charitable giving should out pace your mortgage, for some maybe it should, but for the vast majority of us that truly isn't realistic. But, does your giving outpace your shopping or coffee budget? If you were to tally up your giving to church and helping the less fortunate is it a priority or only something that happens if you have some money left over? I guess the question is how important is your faith to you? Money is a huge part of our lives, and it is addressed by Jesus over and over again in the Bible. If the church and our faith life is important, does our checkbook reflect that, or is giving them money just an after thought? Money is a giant part of our lives. To think it isn't part of our faith life is foolish. How we handle and what we do with money is vital to our faith life.

I'll admit to you two things. I am not bragging or wanting to show off. I want to let you know that I am trying to practice what I preach. My wife and I come close to giving 10% of our income back to the church. The second thing I want to let you know is that we could certainly do better, and that we are going to do better. 10% is not a magical number in my book, but it is something Tracy and I have decided to strive for. For some people 1% of their income would be a big sacrifice. What you give is between you and God, but God is calling you do take an honest look and challenge yourself to do better. How long has it been since your giving has gone up?

The Gospel lesson that spurred this sermon topic is the story of the rich young ruler found in Mark. The rich man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life and after a short conversation Jesus tells him he must sell all of his possessions and come follow Jesus. The young man goes away sad because he cannot, or at least could not right then. Jesus then says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich person to enter into the kingdom of heaven. I tended to think Jesus was talking about all those rich celebrities and athletes and business moguls, but then I saw some statistics that showed that most, if not all of us, are in at least the top 10% of richest people in the world. Compared to the rest of the world we in America are extremely wealthy. So Jesus is talking to us.

Does this mean if we are considered rich we can't enter heaven? Does it mean that in order to enter heaven we need to sell all of our stuff? Probably not, but Jesus isn't letting us off the hook either. He is challenging us. How we handle God's money is important. Did you catch that? I didn't say how we handle our money, because it isn't ours. Everything we have is God's. We are only caretakers of God's creation. So it isn't MY money, it is God's money. And the question is how are we handling God's money? Does what we do with our money reflect what we state our priorities are in life? Can we say we are a good Christian and spend more on coffee then offering or charitable giving? I don't know...maybe. I think Jesus might challenge us a little. Money is an intensely personal thing. And some might be reading this and get angry that I'd have the audacity to challenge what happens with THEIR money. Two responses: 1) Jesus is doing the challenging not me, and 2) it isn't THEIR money it's God's. There's a reason Jesus talks about money so much in the Gospels...it has an incredible hold on our lives. What does your checkbook say about your priorities in life?

To get shot or not...That is the question.

2009-10-05T09:29:00.003-05:00

Stop me if you've heard this bit of information...the Swine (err I mean H1N1) flu virus is around. Jeez, you can't turn on a news cast or read a paper and not hear about someone or someplace dealing with the virus. Although I have noticed that since Omaha schools have started, and there wasn't some mass outbreak, they have backed off a little bit. I guess us little folk in SW Iowa don't matter quite as much! I've also heard that Tri-Center is dealing with the flu too, but so far nothing overly serious. And so here my wife and I sit trying to decide if we're going to get vaccinated against it or not. Being the parents of little Alex we are in the group that should get vaccinated so we don't give it to him, but is the vaccine safe? I suppose it is, but the flu doesn't seem all that worse than the seasonal flu. I guess we're trying to decided what risk is greater, Alex getting the H1N1 from us or Isaac, Tracy and I getting some sort of side effect from the vaccine. I think we're leaning toward vaccination.

All this hoopla has got me thinking about how much we try to protect ourselves from various threats. I've also been thinking that for all of this worry we could all be killed in some sort of accident at any time really. I know that sounds harsh, but honestly it's true. We like to think we have some sort of control over our lives and the world around us, and to some extent we can prevent some things, but I believe we don't have nearly as much control as we'd like to think we have. Sometimes we can take all the right precautions and something bad can still happen. Now I'm not writing this to scare people, all though I'm getting a little nervous, I'm writing this because I've begun to realize that more and more needs to be put into God's hands. The sooner we realize that God being in control is much better than us the sooner we'll be more at peace with life. Realizing that God is with us always should take a burden off our shoulders and allow us more peace of mind. We need to understand that we do what we can, and then let the rest be up to God.

The danger I think is in thinking then that if we do everything "right" that God will somehow protect us from bad things. If we just pray enough, go to church enough, give enough, and live a righteous enough life then God owes it to us to bless us and protect us from all harm. Has anyone lived a life free from suffering? Has anyone lived a life "good" enough to warrant God's love and ultimate protection? You and I both know the answers. We don't have faith in God in order to get what we want or to protect us from suffering. Believing isn't about; "what have you done for me lately God." Our faith is what helps us when the bad times come. Our faith is what helps us to be better human beings. Our faith is what compels us to make this world a better place for all. Our faith cannot be a me first thing.

The book of Job does a good job of reminding us that "perfect" faith (which isn't possible) isn't a guarantee against suffering. If anyone lived a good enough life for God to bless and protect it was Job, but we know what happened to him. Job is a book that reminds us that bad things happen for no apparent reason. God does allow suffering to take place. Job understood that he didn't deserve what what happening to him. He knew he wasn't being punished for some sin. Job's suffering just happened, and we don't' get a good reason except that God allowed it to happen. The story is telling us that everyone experiences difficult times, and that it is our belief in God and God's love for us that helps us get through those tough times. The challenge for us is to quit thinking that God owes us anything...the challenge is to think like we owe God everything!

PS-this seemed like a random stream of consciousness...sorry if it makes no sense I'll do better next week.

One Great Weekend!

2009-09-28T10:31:00.002-05:00

I have to admit I'm having a brain cramp. Save the jokes...I know it's a small cramp! I can't think of anything inspiring to write this morning...Again I know when have I ever come up with anything inspiring. I'll keep setting you guys up and you can keep knocking them out of the park. I did have an awesome weekend though. My dad, Isaac and I went to Kansas City Friday night and attended at KC Royals vs. MN Twins game. We stayed over night and then had some Jack Stack's BBQ for lunch on Saturday. How cool was it to take Isaac to his first MLB baseball game. He was amazed at the stadium for awhile. Then he was concerned with what he was going eat. Then he wanted them to hit him a ball. We had great seats just off home plate towards the first base side. A foul ball did land about 10 feet from us so that satisfied him for awhile. Isaac did good. We left after the 5th inning because we had been there about 3 hours already and there was a threat of rain.

As the boys grow up I can't wait to experience a whole bunch of firsts with them, and it was extra special to be able to have my dad there too. I've already caught myself a couple times when Isaac and I are doing something thinking about when my dad and I did that too. I'm hoping Isaac, and eventually Alex I'm not forgetting him, will have as good a childhood as I did. Alex's main concern now is when is his next meal and how tough is the next poop so he isn't too concerned about hanging out yet.

I've heard it a million times, and I'm sure all of us have, but kids do grow up fast. Heck, we all grow up fast. Life continues to move faster and faster and if we don't slow down and look around once in awhile we're going to miss something. Is there a Ferris Bueller quote in there? If we have kids or not. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Of course there is work to be done, but we can't be so concerned with work or ourselves that we forget to experience life with friends and family. I'm glad that I can be around my family so much. I'm also grateful that our extended family is close even though they live a ways away. I have to remind myself sometimes how good I truly have it, and make sure that the boys get a chance at a great childhood too. Yes, Yes Tracy is involved in this too, probably more than me, but this is my blog dang it!

I ask you: Are you stopping to smell the roses? Or are you moving so fast, involved in so much stuff, and missing life? You only get one chance to experience a lot of stuff...don't be so busy that you miss it.

Diet or Life Style Change

2009-09-21T10:24:00.005-05:00

What do you suppose works better? A diet or a life style change? I know for sure that diets don't work. Oh they work for awhile, but eventually one falls off the wagon and you're right back where you've started. Oprah is a living example. It must be hard to lose and keep the weight off if she can't do it. She's worth over a BILLION dollars. She can afford a personal chef, trainer, doctor, you name it, and she can't even make a diet stick. If the queen of daytime TV can't do it how in the world can an ordinary Joe like me do it. I'm not calling it a diet. I'm calling it a life style change. I'm still going to eat the foods I like, but I'm not going to eat nearly as much of them or eat them nearly as often. For a week it's worked pretty good, but I'm not here to keep you informed how my di...I mean life style change is going. What I am interested in discussing is the discipline it takes to stick to a life style change and how our spiritual lives need the same discipline.

I'm going to admit to you something right now. Being a pastor maybe I shouldn't say this, but I do struggle with my own personal spiritual life. I struggle to consistently find the time to pray and be alone with the Spirit. I've committed to reading through the Bible cover to cover and take notes on the subject, but I even find myself forgetting to do that from time to time. Try it sometime and see how difficult it can be to slog through some of the Old Testament. On the other hand, it reads better than any movie or novel in a lot of places. Hard to believe some of that stuff happened and it was recorded in the Bible. Even harder to believe that God still cares enough for us after all the trouble we cause, but that's a post for another day. Being disciplined on a di...I mean life style change, is just as important as being disciplined in your daily devotional time. Each one has a profound influence on our lives and quality of life.

It is easy for me to realize when I've neglected my spiritual life. I become agitated easily and I can become a real grouch. My patience level is not very high and I just become discouraged very easily. I've learned to recognize these symptoms, if you will, and take steps to alleviate them. I make the time to be alone and just let the Spirit fill me and guide me. I know reading that sentence kind of sounds hokie..."let the Spirit fill me." But, it is what happens. I don't have some magic formula for how we can open ourselves to the Spirit. My devotions can be as simple as 5 minutes sitting quietly and trying hard not to let my mind race with the list of things to do. Sometimes my devotional time is 30 to 45 minutes reading the Bible and taking notes on what I've read. No matter what I do I make sure I'm concentrating on God and the Spirit. Each time I come away feeling refreshed. It really is that simple. The tough part is sticking to it.

We have become so busy that we don't think we have time for ourselves. We neglect our own well being because we're so busy doing something for someone else. Whether we harm ourselves by stopping at McD's instead of taking the extra 5 minutes to pack a lunch, or whether we harm our spiritual life by neglecting our time alone with the Spirit each time we take away from our quality of life. Di...I mean beginning a life style change is hard because the easy way is the fast food and the sugar and all the bad stuff. Having a fulfilling spiritual life is tough too because it asks us to take some time for ourselves. Taking time for ourselves is not selfish. In fact it is necessary and an important part in making sure we're the best we can be for those who need us. I know when I'm neglecting my spiritual life Tracy and the boys are suffering right along with me 'cause I'm not too fun to be around. Is it selfish for me to make sure I have at least some time to be alone and connect with God? NO it is absolutely necessary. I am challenging myself to at least once a day to connect with God. It doesn't have to be an elaborate devotional time, but it has to be an intentional slowing down and purposeful connection to the Spirit. Will you take the challenge with me? Will you help hold me accountable? Let's see how our lives can be influenced for the better. And who knows...maybe, just maybe by being connected to the Spirit it'll make my life style change easier!

Do we really have to dislike each other so much?

2009-09-14T08:57:00.002-05:00

I'm sitting at my desk wondering what I've gotten myself into with this blog thing. What am I going to say? What should I say? What if I say something that makes someone mad? What if people make fun of me because I set the English language, spelling, and grammar rules back 50 years? Then I thought to myself..."If I'm being honest and talking about important stuff then some people aren't going to agree, and hopefully we can all look past my lack of grammar skills. Mr. Struck (junior high English teacher) may not be too proud, but that's okay I suppose.

I think I'm going to use this forum as a way for me to put out there what's been running through my head lately. I'm hoping for some feedback both negative and positive. I had a pastor tell me once that if you always agree with the pastor of your church then you're not thinking. So please feel free to say I'm nuts or agree with me, it'll be a fun exchange.

What's really been eating at me the past couple of days is all this division in the country. Most of the division can be seen in the political arena, but one can't help but notice it in churches too. I believe we've become so concerned with being right, that we have lost our compassion for the other. We've become so concerned with who's in and who's out that we have lost our calling to care for the less fortunate. We've become so concerned with getting ours that we've completely ignored those who can't get enough. We've become so concerned with ourselves that we don't have time for others. What was one of Jesus' mantras throughout most of his ministry? Care for the poor and the less fortunate; treat others as you want to be treated. Why doesn't that permeate all that we do? It doesn't because it's hard.

It makes me sad to see politicians forgo working for the good of the country to make sure the other side loses or to enhance their political stance. And I'm talking about all politicians because it happens on both sides of the aisle and it doesn't matter which party is in control. It seems running the country and looking out for the good of everyone takes a back seat to making sure a certain party looks good and the other looks bad. We're share the blame too because we hold the power, but we choose to be lazy and not exercise it...maybe another topic for another post.

It makes me more sad to see church going people worry so much about rules and perceptions and who's in and who's out instead of spreading the radical love that Jesus so brilliantly portrayed. I think we can all think of examples where we shook our head either reading about such an instance or experiencing one ourselves. I think we are very good about talking a good game, but when it comes to being loving, forgiving, and open, living that game is a different story. I know for myself that's true. A lot of times the sermons I give are more for my benefit. I find myself preaching and talking a lot about things I wish I did better. I don't want to sound sanctimonious here. I struggle just like everyone else.

So what do we do? There seems to be all this division and the more things change the more they stay the same. Well Jesus said it best I believe when he told us that we need to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him. (Mark 8:34). We have to stop putting ourselves first all the time. Yes there are certain times we need to be selfish in order to take care of ourselves, but if we always look out for number one then we've failed to deny ourselves and follow Jesus. People don't do as Jesus did because they misunderstand him, we don't follow well because the path is hard. It involves sacrifice. If we're going to help others then we need to give up some of what we think is ours. If we're going to be examples of God's love and forgiveness then we have to live a little differently. If we want to experience true love, true peace, and true forgiveness then we need to let go and let God be our guide. Study how Jesus welcomed everyone, and determine ways in which you can help others in your life. The change can't happen unless we make it. Let's begin making our own corner of the world a better place and see how small steps can lead to big changes.