A Reminder I Received from a Coffee Mug

I suffered a tragedy today. It is all relative, of course, but I lost something dear to me nonetheless. You see, I collect coffee mugs—among other things—and I got one on a particularly wonderful family vacation several years ago I loved. This was a special piece of ceramic pottery. It was a strong mug. It was a big mug. It held just the right amount of coffee. And being ceramic it kept it hot for a long time. I loved this mug. Every day, and sometimes a couple times a day, regardless of whatever else was going on in my life, I knew my mug would be there for me. When the days were cold, my mug would be there to warm me up. When I was alone, I could count on my mug not to let me down.

Then it happened! I had enjoyed an afternoon cup of coffee to perk me up in preparation for the rest of the long day ahead of me. I sat it down in the empty sink to wash it next time I needed to use some water. In the meantime, I was cooking something for our small group’s dinner session and had a large baking dish that needed to be washed. While rinsing out the large baking, the soap on my hands made me lose my grip, dropping it on top of my favorite mug. It was doomed.

Now I have pretty good reflexes if you did not know. With my right hand, I attempted to reach under the falling dish to preserve the mug, but to no avail. It was as though the mug was made from powder held together by a seam of glue the way it exploded and disintegrated as the dish landed on top of it. As I watched it crumble and fall in the sink, I saw the mug’s lifetime flash before my eyes. My favorite mug was no more. Despite any valiant attempt on my part, I could not save my mug.

The fact is I am just using the coffee mug as a metaphor for life. Though I loved my mug and when it broke I was upset, it was by no means as precious to me as my relationship with the Lord, a friend, or a family member. Still, there are all sorts of people, places, and things in life where we take their presence for granted. Just as I had placed my coffee mug in the sink as I had many times before, I had no idea I would never be able to use it again. This reminds me that there are times when we hang up the phone for the last time, wave goodbye for the last time, or sign a card for the last time. We never know when any these events will be the inevitable “last time,” so we must cherish any and every opportunity we have while they are ours to enjoy.

Several years ago, my wife lost a young friend to a tragic end. When she got the news, she immediately jumped back in her mind to the last time they spoke and of all the missed opportunities in between. She thought about times when she “should’a, would’a, could’a,” but in the end she knew there was nothing she could do but remember the good times, pray for peace—both her own and the family—and use this as a reminder not to take for granted the blessings of those around us.

When separations occur, they can be quite difficult, even tragic. But I do have good news…endings are not the end of hope! You see, we have a God who has conquered death and promised to never leave us alone in the midst of separation. So when you lose someone, someplace, or something near and dear to you, remember and cherish what they mean and represent. And then remember these words, that they might provide you hope, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39, NIV)

On A Clean Conscience

I had a great reminder about right living the other day when we were running late to get Ethan to school. I had about five-minutes to get him there before he would be counted as tardy and I was sweatin’ it.

Since we were running late, I was pushing the envelope as to how far I should maneuver my Toyota through the daily obstacle course of other parents in the same predicament. About half way there, I reached down and patted my pocket, realizing that in my rush to get out of the house, I left my wallet at home. IMMEDIATELY, I slowed down, became more aware of my surroundings, and did my best to get Ethan to school without breaking any driving laws or getting into an accident.

I found it strange that I was willing to drive more maniacally when I thought my license was in my pocket. It was almost as though I thought that little card could justify my driving, when in reality, I knew wrong was wrong. If I had been pulled over for speeding, Ethan would have been late. If we had been involved in an accident, Ethan would have been late at best. I experienced that strange sensation of butterflies in my stomach, knowing I had been in the wrong. This feeling – a strong indicator of my conscience kicking in – helped me know I needed to get back to safe driving! My conscience was telling me to watch what I was doing and be more careful when in reality this is how I should have been behaving all along.

It’s amazing how easily we throw caution to the wind when we think it benefits us. We ease into our own isolated bubble either feeling we’re invincible or oblivious to others. Whether it’s aggressive driving or unwise living, we cannot afford to live as though we are the only ones in this world. This is frankly contrary to how God wants us to live. God wants us to always be aware of others and live in such a way that is consistent with what we say we believe. Our conscience, therefore, helps us avoid compromising situations and lets us know when we’re off the narrow path as we slip.

As Christians, we believe that when we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. The Holy Spirit then informs and transforms our conscience so we can live for God and know when we stray from Him. It is even more important to listen to our conscience then, because it is the power of God within us, helping us to live for Him.

The good news is that with God’s grace, we have the opportunity to turn away from our inconsistent and sinful behavior to return to Him. It’s never too late to turn back to God thanks to Jesus Christ and the confidence we have in God and His amazing grace! God is always willing to welcome us back.

We must be very careful not to take advantage of this, however. There are people in this world who behave however they want with little regard for anyone else and just turn to God when things go badly. Just as in my case, a driver’s license doesn’t provide me license to drive aggressively. God’s forgiving grace doesn’t give us license to behave however we want. The key is to realize God wants us to strive to live right all the time, shining with the glory of His love. It’s because of His love, though, that even when we fall short, we can return to Him and know that there is no condemnation thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The Scriptures tell us this, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 22.21-23, emphasis mine)

God does love you! God is faithful! God wants you in His family! If you aren’t living that way, listen to your conscience. It will let you know what you’re off course and it will help you get back on the right track.

What Memory Foam Helped Me Remember

Our Walt Disney World vacation this past summer was memorable for many reasons. We had a great time, but strangely enough, one thing stood out to us: the comfort of the bed. Perhaps the beds were so cozy because we were whooped after all the fun and frivolity that is a trip to the "Happiest Place On Earth," but as we investigated the mattresses, we learned they had a memory foam pillow top. After a couple nights of sweet sweet dreams, I knew we needed an upgrade at home.

Upon arriving back home, Tiffany made it her purpose to find us a memory foam mattress topper. She finally found the one she liked best and exemplified patience until the topper went on sale. She brought it home, we unwrapped it, placed it on the bed, and prepared for a good night's sleep.

I'll say this, the memory foam mattress topper is worth the wait and the money (especially after being purchased on sale). I am sleeping so much better. It cradles me just right, isn't too hot, and enables us both to wake up sans the aches and pains with which we had become all too familiar. The memory foam -- and pardon the intended puns and inferences -- is a dream come true!

As my alarm went off this morning, I went through a fairly standard procedure of thinking about all I had to do today and asked God to bless me, my family, my endeavors, and those people with whom I come in contact. In prayer, I was working to remember my role in this world and the sovereignty of God, full of love, grace, and mercy.

I found myself searching the scriptures this afternoon and happening upon a passage that had escaped my consciousness. In Psalm 63, we read these words,

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night. "
(vs.3-6, NIV, emphasis mine)

I don't need memory foam to help me remember how much I need the love of God, but the busyness of life, has a tendency to cause me to lose focus. I need to remember that I am simply not capable of being all I need or want to be on my own ... none of us are. With God, though, we are capable of so much more than we could ever dream.

If you do not have a regular practice of giving your day to God, I want to encourage you to do so. You don't need memory foam to make it happen, just something to help trigger within your mind that you need to stop what you're doing and focus on God. It might be every time you touch a door knob, the steering wheel, or hear a phone ring. Regardless, find some way to help you remember to give God His due take your proper place in this world. And don't beat yourself up if you miss it from time-to-time; it happens to me, too. But do make a point to remember the Lord and how His love is better than life. Give Him the glory and offer Him your praise.

Have a great day!

Wear Your Colors Day

This is one of my favorite seasons of the year, second only to Advent and Christmas. It is the time when football kicks off for both college and pro teams. In preparation for the new football season, today, Friday, September 4, has been declared, "National Wear Your Colors Day."

As I sit here, I am wearing one of my favorite University of Georgia tee shirts. I love my UGA gear: I have a jersey, several other tee shirts, sweat shirts and hoodies, pajama pants, key chains, ball caps, sandals, crocs, a UGA license plate, a static cling window decoration, screensaver, desktop wallpaper, ink pens, lapel pens, and the fight song running through my head on a loop. So when I learned earlier this week that today was "Wear Your Colors" day, I wanted to make sure my favorite shirt was clean and ready to go; except, of course for the one I'm going to wear when the Dawgs kick off the 2009 season tomorrow afternoon.

I have been convicted for several years about the passion and energy I put into my love of sports. Tiffany can attest I am infinitely better than I was when we first married, but I do get pumped up over a big win and deflated over a devastating loss. I have come to put sports into a much more appropriate perspective in my life, though I still have to check myself over how high or low I get in terms of things that mean very little in the grand scheme of things, and mean absolutely nothing in an eternal sense. I don't think God minds us loving sports, but He certainly cares if we allow them to take a god-like status in our lives, becoming an idol that governs our emotions, motives, and actions.

God wants us to live lives of passion for Him as well as those He has placed in our lives. He wants us to share our love and allegiance for Him in a stronger way than we do for our favorite teams. He wants us to wear our love and faith for Him on our sleeves, so to speak, as we seek to share Him with the world.

In Colossians 3.12-14, Paul wrote, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (NIV) In these lines, Paul is giving us an idea of who it looks when we wear our God-colors; clothing ourselves with the light and love of God.

When we wear the colors of faith, the world takes notice! These colors don't tell people where we went to school or which teams we follow, but they do say to whom we belong ... GOD! ... and we wear these colors to share the incredible love and grace of God with others. Unlike the results from a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, these are things that have eternal consequence and will never let us down. If we could only say the same thing about our favorite teams...

It seems we don't have any problem sharing our sports allegiances with the world. We need to have as much pride and conviction in our faith. We need to clothe ourselves in Christian love and share the colors of God with the world. We don't have any secrets to keep, but to share the greatest story ever told!

Jesus said it this way in the Sermon on the Mount, "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill." (Matthew 5.14, MSG)

Have a great "Wear Your Colors Day" and make sure you're dressing yourself in the colors of faith!