My, Where Has The Time Gone?

I decided to take a peek at my blog page today and realized I haven't updated it since March. Egad, that's bad! I must do better because I enjoy this outlet for sharing my thoughts and ideas. It doesn't seem like nearly seven months since that day I was out playing tennis with Tiffany and Ethan. It causes me to ask the age-old question, "My, where has the time gone?"

Recently I have gotten into Facebook. It was one of those things I ventured into without realizing the significance of what it would mean. Early on I was communicating with persons from Lighthouse, which was cool. But it wasn't long before some much older friends began popping up. People I went to church, school, and worked with. As I began reconnecting with these long-lost friends I was amazed at how much has changed. In my minds' eye, these folks are still 18 years old, full of the promise of college, new jobs, military service, and so on and so forth. But to see where these men and women are now, well, suffice it to say that it amazes me.

I have found friends who are living all over the world. Friends who are in Broadway shows in New York. Friends who are seeing their dreams realized of being attorneys, doctors, actors, athletes, etc. and the funny thing is, none of them are 18 any more! They are all a little older, wiser (we can only hope, right?), heavier, thinner (up top), wrinkled, and caring for their own spouses and children. We have all grown up ... it wasn't just me! My, where has the time gone?

When I think about how much has changed, I think about how one thing remains constant, and that is the love of God. That's why two separate connections on Facebook have been very significant for me. I have reconnected with my two best friends from high school; the gents who helped me start the FCA in our school. One is living his life as a Christian singer and songwriter where the other is about to embark on a church planting project in Thailand! These dudes, with me makes three, all followed the call God placed upon their lives to live for Him in service. We are no longer leading prayer services in the stairwells or doing music and messages in the gymnasium, we are out doing what God has burdened our souls to do. All in different parts of the country, let alone the world.

If I am totally honest, then I must admit the these two fellas had as big an impact on me spiritually as as my parents, pastors, and youth ministers along the way. Together we helped teach each other about God's love; about relationships; and about how to navigate the potential pitfalls of high school while maintaining one's spirituality, integrity, and character. I thank God for these two men in my life.

True, we lost touch after school, as so often happens to even the best of friends. But reconnecting with these two people and all the others who I have found -- or been found by -- on Facebook reminds me that my life is a journey that may have seemingly different and confounding routes along the path, but in the end, is in the hand of my maker. I still follow the path God laid out for me, but I at times must scratch my graying head ask the question, "My where has the time gone."

Watch Out...Score Is Being Kept

I got a stark reminder the other day that score is being kept... Tiffany, Ethan, and I had gone to the neighborhood playground and tennis courts for a little recreation. Ethan hovered between the tennis courts and playground while Tiffany and I reminisced about how we used to play tennis several years and many pounds ago. We had fun getting out, stretching our legs, and taking in some fresh air as a family.

After an hour or so of chasing the tennis ball between the two different courts, we decided it was time to head home and have a nice dinner together. It was then that Ethan came to us with a pen and little notepad he had pulled from his pocket. He informed us that he had been keeping score while we played. Wanting to humor my little guy I asked him, "So what was the final tally?" This was his answer:
. Mommy: 2,000,000
. Daddy: 46

Hmmm. It reminds me that persons of faith are always being watched. Like the old saying goes, "You may be the only Bible someone ever reads." The way we live, words we say, things we do, etc. are always being seen, heard, observed, and processed. As much as we might hate to admit it, some folks will determine whether or not the Christian faith is right for them based on the testimonies they hear and/or see from people who profess faith in Jesus.

That can be a scary thought for some--if not all--of us! We are not perfect beings, but place our faith in the ONE who is. Even when we do stupid, shortsighted, thick-headed things, we can hurt our witness. But it also provides us an opportunity to point to the ONE who takes our shortcomings, redeems us, and makes us whole.

Forgiveness is one of the most critical elements of the Christian faith, and thank goodness for it. Without God's forgiveness, we'd be in a world of hurt as people continuously observe our lives and seek to keep score. There will be days when we feel like we're on the wrong side of a 2million to 46 scoreboard, but in the eyes of the Lord, we are all in need of His forgiveness, redemption, and love.

Happy day after Easter and have a wonderful week!

On Super Tuesday & Choices

Okay, okay, okay. I'm really interested in Super Tuesday. It's the closest thing to a national primary this country has ever seen. And by all accounts, voter turnout has been significant as people go to the polls so their voices can be heard as to who is most capable of leading this great country. It all comes down to choice. Choices, choices, choices...

When voting in an election, there are so many things to consider--personalities, platforms, and politics. These choices are important and do impact our futures and our lives.

As important as it is to make a wise choice when voting in an election, there are greater things in play...greater choices to be made.

As Joshua is completing his task of leading God's children on the last leg of their Exodus journey, he says to the people, "...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,.... But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24.15)

May we all use such wisdom in making choices in our lives. Let's choose love. Let's choose GOD!

"We need to teach the next generation of children from day one
that they are responsible for their lives.
Mankind's greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice.
We can make our choices built from love or from fear."
~ Elizabeth Kubler Ross

Hope

A whole stack of memories never equal one little hope. ~ Charles Schulz


"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." ~ The Bible, Hebrews 6.19a


We don't hope just for hope's sake, but in the One who gives us reason to Hope ... God!

Baptism

I had the opportunity to baptize four adults today in worship. It was a first for The Lighthouse Church. We've done babies, children, and youth, but not adults. And it's the circumstances that makes this so powerful.

The lady who precipitated this is dying of cancer. As I write this she is down to weeks left in her life (based on the docs best guess). She wanted to experience authentic baptism before she went to be with the Lord. As she shared her new faith with her family, they too came to faith in Christ and wanted to be baptized. So we did it! and boy was it special!

I remember speaking by phone with this lady last week when I learned her family would be joining her for the baptism service. She asked if it would okay. My initial reaction was pity the church where it wouldn't be okay.

Words cannot express the power in that worship center this morning. Here is someone who is facing her own mortality, surrounded by those who love her most. The very fact that some churches would not be in favor of doing this is absurd, but true. and the very fact that some serious pastoral care has already begun makes it even more worthwhile.

For after the elation of this day passes and the reality of the illness sets back in, the family will be left in worry and grief. Yet a relationship has begun where we can love, support, and care for this family before, during, and after the loss of their mother and grandmother. Who knows just how powerful the memories of this morning will be in the grand scheme of things.

It was a good day.

God Is Still In The Gift Giving Business

This is the season for gifts and giving! It is one of the reasons Christmas is so fun and exciting. Speaking of gifts and giving, there is a story my wife loves to tell about her favorite Christmas gift.

It was the year of the Cabbage Patch Doll, one of the greatest phenomena of my generation. Television and radio stations held contests and auctions so parents could get their hands on the commodities. Want-adds displayed the lengths desperate parents would go to commandeer one of these toys. And of course, there were those fortunate enough to buy up several at once to sell them at unbelievable prices to moms and dads who would stop at nothing to see the looks on their precious one’s face on Christmas morning.

My wife was once one of those dreamy-eyed children with her heart set on a brand new Cabbage Patch Doll. To hear her tell the story today you can see her light up as she recalls that special morning. As many children do when they have their eyes set on a particular item, she bargained with her parents as she declared she didn’t need a single other present as long as there was a Cabbage Patch Doll under the tree.

Christmas morning rolled around and the gift-giving extravaganza commenced. As she would tear into each package, she did so with baited breath for the hope of finding her new doll. Package after package was opened but it yielded no doll. As her hopes began to fade, she tried to focus on the gifts she did get and not on the one she did not receive. But as luck would have it, after she thought all hope was lost, her father told her to go to the closet. It was there, hidden in a place she would never expect, she found her Christmas dream come true.

She got her brand new doll, but to hear her tell the story today, the toy was not what was most important. In hindsight, that year brought her the greatest gift to memory because her dad picked it out and gave it to her out of complete and total love. It did not necessarily come at a time or in the manner she expected, but it came nonetheless, and to this day remains the greatest gift she ever received. Sure, there have been fancier and much more expensive gifts through the years (I should know!) but it was that doll that has meant the most.

Friends, I hope you find that your heart’s greatest desire is fulfilled this Christmas. But in the midst of our worldly dreams we can ill afford to overlook the gift that was given long before any of us were ever born. For in a time when it was least expected, in a place where no one even dared to look, God with us, Emmanuel, was born to set us free. A tiny baby born of a virgin and laid in a feeding trough is still the best gift we could hope for. After all, “Jesus is the reason for the season!”

The same God who gave us the gift of Jesus that special night is still in the gift-giving business. Sometimes God’s gifts are difficult to see and even understand, but God is still in the gift-giving business. As we come around to this Christmas season each and every year, we are reminded that the One who gave His Son to be our Savior, the Prince of Peace in a world full of peace-less-ness, still gives us gifts of hope, joy, and love.

So as we have a great time exchanging gifts with those we love, in the midst of the dolls, action figures, clothes, jewelry, and video games, may we also remember that every dream we could ever have has been given in the form of the baby Jesus. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and after all the paper has been torn away and before the thank you notes are written, may we each and every one pause to remember that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17)

The Holiday Blues

The holidays are supposed to be a joyful time of good cheer and optimistic hopes. Yet it is not unusual for many of us to feel sad or lonely during the holiday period. This has come to be known as “The Holiday Blues” or “Holiday Depression.”

The Holiday Blues may occur at any holiday or vacation time, but most commonly happens during the December holidays when it seems just about everyone in the world is celebrating in some way. There are many causes for the holiday blues, but the most typical are the loss of a loved one, loss of job, separation or estrangement from family, a move away from a familiar home, or even a change in family traditions.

The symptoms for the Holiday Blues mimic clinical depression: sleeplessness or constant desire to sleep; loss of appetite resulting in unwanted weight loss; binge eating resulting in unwanted weight gain; difficulty in concentration; difficulty in functioning normally at work and/or at home; feelings of anger, ambivalence, or hopelessness; slow reaction times and an inability to make decisions; an emphasis on the negative; low self esteem; isolation from others; and some very real physical ailments such as headaches, backaches, and melancholy facial expressions.

While these symptoms might be intense and unsettling, The Holiday Blues are usually short-lived, lasting for a few days to weeks before the holiday. The good news is the Holiday Blues usually subside after the holiday as daily routines resume. If they do not, however, it is important to find someone who can help you through this difficult time such as a family member, friend, pastor, or other health care professional. Below, you will find a list of recommended DO’S and DON’TS for managing your Holiday Blues. The most important things to remember are: it’s a normal response to a stress-filled time of year, and you don’t have to suffer unnecessarily.

DO:
Do follow the three basics for good health (eat right, get plenty of rest, & exercise)
Do set realistic goals to organize your time, make lists, prioritize, and set a budget
Do let go of the past and find new ways to celebrate
Do allow yourself to feel sad and grieve—this is a normal response
Do something for someone else and spend time with people who care about you
Do enjoy activities that are free (like at a local church)

DON’T:
Don’t overindulge in alcohol or fatty and sugary goodies
Don’t have unrealistic expectations of self or others
Don’t always count on others to remember your loss and pain
Don’t focus on what you don’t have
Don’t spend money you don’t have

The Holiday Blues can be a very difficult and sometimes unwanted guest at the holidays, but if you follow some of these simple suggestions and remember the words of Jesus, then you will be well on your way to a holiday season that will be merry and bright!

And remember what Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” (Matthew 5:4) and “Blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh.”(Luke 6:21)

Resourced from the University of Maryland Medical School and The Stephen Ministry Training Manual