Lifequakes

I was recently a part of a discussion group where someone asked the question, "What would you do if you knew for certain that the return of Christ would happen in five years?" Most of the responses were expected ... pray more ... spend less on material things ... tell more people about Jesus ... do more ministry. A couple of answers surprised me ... read the book of Revelation more ... study prophecy ... pay attention to world events.


BIAS WARNING! I hope that my own personal bias here does not come across as judgmental toward those whose end times view differs from mine. I will work really hard to avoid that. My own personal bias is that I'm not one who spends a lot of time focusing on the prophetic in Scripture. I am more than happy to let other folks do that. The question I want to ask myself is, "If I am alive when Christ returns, what do I want him to find me doing?" That leads me to the second question I want to ask myself, "How can I do that today?" FOR ME, I am less interested in being found as a accurate interpreter of world events than I am in being an accurate demonstrator of the character of Christ. I want to be found, in the words of one of my church planter friends, loving people up close to Jesus.


That brings me to the most current world news of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. There are those who will focus on this event as another sign that we are living in the last days. I have no problem with that focus or interpretation. My question is, how can I respond in a way that loves people up close to Jesus? I don't know how much I will be able to do for the people in Japan. Certainly we should all pray and seek the best way to help in the days ahead.


But the news media do not report the Lifequakes that happen every day. There are people today for whom Japan could not be further from their minds, not because they are uncaring, but because they are experiencing their own lifequake. In our local school district, where my wife works, two teachers have died in the past week. There are families all over our small community for whom this has shaken their world. I am asking myself how I can best respond to these lifequakes that are going on within my sphere of influence and availability. Personally, I will be conducting one of the funeral services. That part is easy and will be over in a few days. The real question is, how can I be present to love people up close to Jesus during the aftershocks that will go on for weeks and months.


Christ is indeed returning. It may be in my lifetime. But He sees what I am doing today and there are so many opportunities to let people see who He is in me. How about you? What lifequakes are going on in your sphere in availability? You can't fix things, but you can love people up close to Jesus if you know Him personally.


Your life matters.

Oh, Christina!

Now that we have had a few days to recover from the Super Bowl, I'd like to reflect a little on the drama ... or maybe the pageantry ... or maybe the food ... or maybe the commercials ... no, the National Anthem. Oh, Christina!


Now, I am not jumping on the Christina Aguilera-bashing bandwagon. Stay with me for a few lines. First, I'd like to compliment her on her very modest and respectful attire. I thought she looked pretty classy. Second, while I am not a fan, she does have a really nice voice. Third, on that worldwide stage, anybody could lose a line or a verse of the most familiar song. It happens.


I am not even going to bash her for her personlizing of the arrangement eventhough that is the topic of my reflection. I am admittedly a purist when it comes to the anthem. I am not a big fan of vocal gymnastics that put the attention on the singer rather than the nation. But it was certainly not the worst I have ever heard.


The question I want to ask is what you and I can learn from Christina. Yes, you read that right. What can she teach us? Here's the lesson ... are you ready ... complicated and flashy are not always better. Sometimes less is more. Sometimes simple, focused, and pure allow us to really get our message across.


It's true in our personal lives. Think of the people whose lives you really want to impact. Do you think they are more impacted by how cool you are or by how genuine you are? Are they more impacted by your talent or by your integrity? If you are deficient in integrity, should you work harder on hiding it or on changing it?


It's also true in businesses and churches. Flashy, complicated, and even efficient may be attractive for the short term. But simple, pure, focused, and effective are qualities that endure. People may be drawn through the door by flashy. They become customers and members because they find something that really matters to their lives.


Now before you start accusing me of saying church is just like business, let me disavow that. I am not saying they are the same. I am saying that people are the same. People are not looking for ways to complicate their lives. They are looking for businesses that make their lives easier. They are looking (whether they consciously understand it or not) for churches that make their lives make matter.


It reminds me a little bit of a question that was brought to Jesus once by people who had really complicated the whole religion thing. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40, NIV).


Now, how complicated is that? Love God and love people. And the action still works even if you forget some of the words.


Don't forget ... your life matters.

Overshadowed

I am writing this on a gray, snowy day. Baby, it's cold outside! Temperature is 18 degrees with wind chill of -1. Glad I can sit and look out the window and not try to go anywhere. I am trying to use today for some focus time. Do you ever feel like a juggler that is just trying to keep too many balls in the air (or too many plates spinning ... pick your metaphor)? And to take it a step further, do you ever feel like your juggling is on display for a crowd who is judging your performance? If you can't relate, you can probably stop reading now. Have a great day!


If you CAN relate, stick with me for a few more lines ...


I was recently working with a coach who helped me focus on why I want to write and attempt to be creative (notice "attempt"). After all, I have plenty of things to do. Plenty of tasks to complete ... phone calls to make ... meetings to attend and/or facilitate ... questions to answer ... you get the picture. You probably get the picture because it looks a lot like your life.


So why am I frustrated by not having time for creativity and writing? Do I have a need to be noticed and acknowledged? Am I just one of those artsy persons that needs to have an audience to be fulfilled? Maybe there is a morsel of truth there. But that is not the main reason. The main reason is that I believe God has gifted me to communicate truth in a way that is simple and practical and can bless and encourage those who read or hear. I know that He has given me a passion to be a blessing and encouragement. In fact, I have determined that my life's mission is to bless, not to impress.


So, that means that sometimes I am in the spotlight, but more often I am in the shadows. The question for me is to find out who is casting the shadow that makes it a little darker where I am. The late Dottie Rambo wrote a song that I sang about 30 years ago. A line from the song said that I am "happy to stand in the shadow and give Him the praise."


I read this morning in Psalm 91, "The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty." That is a good shadow to be in. So, my prayer for today is that I would be overshadowed by the Almighty. So, how do I reconcile that with the idea of "letting my light shine"? I'll talk about that next time. Will you join me?


Don't forget that your life matters to God.

The First Day of School

In August 1993, my little girl nervously walked into Liberty Elementary School in Azle, Texas for her first day of kindergarten. She carried in her pocket a picture key ring that had a picture of her family on one side and a picture of her little brother and her on the other side. That way, if she got scared during the day, she could take it out and be reminded of the people who loved her most. She reported at the end of the day that she only had to take it out twice the whole day. Her best review of the day, however, was summed up in this statement, "I want to go to kindergarten for the rest of my life!" We knew then that she and school were going to get along just fine.


Tomorrow--January 13, 2011--my little girl will nervously walk into Dalhart High School way up in the Texas panhandle for her first official day as the freshmen and junior English teacher. I didn't give her anything to put in her pocket this time. I will send her a text message that she can take out and look at if she wants to remember that her daddy always loves her. I gave her a big hug and kiss this morning when, fresh back from their honeymoon, she and her new husband (my new son-in-law) pulled out of my driveway headed for the "real world". I'm sure she has a picture of him that she can look at tomorrow whenever she gets scared of those teenaged hooligans.


I have two prayers for tomorrow. The first is that when she summarizes her day for Joe, it will have a familiar ring. I pray that she has such a sense of purpose and fulfillment--dare I say a sense of calling--that she will say, "I want to teach for the rest of my life!" The second is that the Lord will use her to impact her students in ways that she cannot possibly imagine. That is, that they will not just learn English, but that they will see in her a life that inspires them to greatness.


I am praying for you, Mrs. Dad. I am so unbelievably proud of you.

Night Before Christmas 2010

I wrote this for a Christmas banquet about a week ago and have shared it at two others since then. Since I have been asked to share it online, I thought this would be a good venue. Merry Christmas!

'Twas the night before Christmas and all over town

All of the Baptists were about to bed down

The church family had gathered for the candlelight service

"Watch the wax and the carpet!" (it made the custodian so nervous)

The songs had been sung and the hugs had been shared

The youth pastor was late, but nobody cared

The pastor's short message was so warm and tender

That when the deacons woke up, they proclaimed it a winner

So, now everyone had made it back to the house

And that pastor was all snuggled up with his spouse

When all of a sudden, with eyes open wide

The leaped to the window and gawked right outside

(Now you have to be careful with too much outside gawking

You don't want to get the neighbors to talking)

But they gawked and they gawked 'til they got cricks in their necks

'Cause right there in their front yard, old Santa had wrecked

The reindeer were wondering and starting to graze

And Santa just sat right there in a daze

He looked like his travels had worn him down to a nub

As he looked back at them from out of the shrubs

Mrs Pastor said, "Let's help him, we're all that he's got!"

But the pastor was thinking, "Well, I guess the snuggling's shot"

But he pulled himself together and brought Santa inside

They cleared off the sofa (You know that old fella's kinda wide)

They gave him some coffee and cleaned up his clothes

They gathered the reindeer (even the old red nose)

And after a few minutes of loving care

Santa's spirits revived like a breath of fresh air

He jumped up and said, "Friends, I've gotta fly!

There's many miles to go before this night passes by"

But he looked at that ministry couple with love in his eyes

And said, "I need to tell you something and this is no lie.

Kids the world over are pondering my flight

But in your life, I saw Jesus tonight

You didn't ask for presents, you just showered me with love

And I think we all know that it comes from above

So, before I go, pastor, I can say it's not a reach

To see where your heart is, because you practice what you preach."

May the same be said of all of us who proclaim that Jesus is the reason for the season. Let us not just be about words, but let our words be validated by loving action.

We are Expecting!

It seems like only yesterday that we were calling our family and friends to let them know that we were parents-to-be. How exciting! And when that precious little girl showed up late that May evening I could not have imagined ever being more proud and happy.


And then we blinked. And we blinked again. And twelve days from now that little girl will be 22 years old. And two days ago I held the video camera (and my breath) while Joseph Dad asked my baby girl to be his wife.


Nineteen months ago he asked my permission to date her. Five weeks ago he asked my permission to marry her.


Where has the time gone? Who is this old guy that looks back at me from the mirror?


And now it seems we are expecting again ... a son-in-law. And I cannot imagine being more proud and happy.

What's So Good about it?

Good Friday. A makeup school day here in Azle, TX, after our snowbound day in mid-February. A mandatory no-pay furlough for employees of the city of Fort Worth, our big city neighbor trying to make up for a multimillion dollar budget shortfall. My guess is that today's circumstances don't qualify as "good" for any of those folks.


Rewind about two thousand years and see an innocent man brutally executed by a corrupt government pressured by religious extremists (as they might be called today) on a dark Friday on the outskirts of Jerusalem. My guess is that not many associated with him were thinking it was a "good" day.


My friend Mike Bellah blogged this morning about the idea of "Good Friday" and got my writer's juices flowing. I reflected back a few years ago to a friend who referred to one of his two jobs (the one that he really didn't enjoy that much) as his "GOOD" job. "GOOD," he said, "stands for Get Out Of Debt." It wasn't something he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing. It wasn't something that he wanted to make a career of. It was something for which he had a particular skill that allowed him to make additional income to eliminate the debt that was keeping him from wholeheartedly pursuing his calling and passion.


Good Friday. Get Out Of Debt Friday. I think that is what it means for me. It was the day that Jesus Christ paid the overwhelming, unmanageable, un-payable debt of my sin against God. As a Christ-follower, I love Resurrection Sunday. I love that death did not have the final say for Jesus and because of that, it won't have the final say for me either. But without Get Out Of Debt Friday, there would be no Empty And Shunned Tomb, Eternally Risen Sunday.


Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe.