On MapQuest & Life's Direction

Our family was driving home from visiting Tiffany’s parents the other day when we had to make a detour for Tiff’s job. We had MapQuest directions and were following them, but suddenly the name of the road we were traveling changed. We were supposed to be on this one country road for 16 miles and were barely half way through it. We knew that to backtrack was going to cost us a lot of extra time, but going forward might get us crazy lost. I decided to forge ahead until we got to a fork in the road that was not mentioned on MapQuest. Egad, what to do?!?! I paused, thought for a bit, and considered my direction; I knew how I was supposed to go and let that be my guide, trusting my resource. It turns out that within a mile or two, we saw a familiar landmark and realized we were right where we were supposed to be all along. All the anxiety had passed and we made our way home without incident.

As I think about this driving adventure, it makes me consider life and how this is something we might face quite often. Even if we consider last week’s message Hero in Abraham, God told him He had a plan and purpose for His life, but that didn’t mean He gave Abe every last detail. God placed Abraham in the right direction and asked Abraham to trust in Him. God often does the same thing with us. When we’re be-bopping through life, we might not think about all the details, but certain times arise – particularly when we face crossroads – when we need to pause, think on God and remember the direction He’s placed in our lives.

This can be frustrating because most of us prefer lists over adventure – we’d prefer to know every zig and zag of life so there’s no question as to where we’re going. We don’t have anything to worry about because we know exactly where we’re supposed to go and when. Yet for some reason, God doesn’t often operate like this. God wants us to trust Him and follow His leading. If we had all the details and knew exactly what to do when, then we might be deceived into the thinking that we have all we need to function in life. God would rather us trust in Him, for as the Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3.5)

What is going on in your life that God is asking you to simply trust Him? Where might God be asking you to simply pause, place your focus back on Him, and trust the direction He’s placed in your life? How have certain events when you have or haven’t trusted God changed your life? God is there to give you the direction you need, but is also asking you to trust Him as life unfolds. God is trustworthy and true, so trust in Him, the direction He has placed in your life, and look forward to the adventure ahead of you!!!

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE

Here we are on the cusp of Independence Day, and I was thinking about what it means to be free. As a young man, I was prone to choosing the path of least resistance. This might have kept me out of trouble, but I was not truly free. This 4th of July I am thinking more about personal freedom than national liberty, and it is important to think about times when we come to experience true freedom of heart and soul.

My elementary school sponsored an annual trip for 4th and 5th graders to the Rock Eagle camp in Eatonton, Georgia. There was a nominal registration fee ($30 I think) and my parents’ stipulation was that if I was going to Rock Eagle I had to come up with half the money. If I did my chores and stocked away a percentage of my allowance, there would be no problem whatsoever in earning the necessary $15 by the registration deadline. But as the case with most free spending nine-year-olds, I became enamored with the latest toy or sweetest candy, thinking I would be able to make up the money spent with an extra chore or two. As the day of reckoning approached, I went to my piggy bank to get my share of the fee, but to my great surprise, there was only $10; considerably short of the $15 I needed. Then my diabolical mind began to turn. My younger brother had recently enjoyed a birthday and there was little chance, I thought, he would miss a measly $5. So I went into his bank, took the bill, and proudly presented my Mom my share of the registration fee.

Days and weeks went by and my brother never noticed his cash was missing until it was time to fork over the dough for this shiny new remote-controlled boat he wanted. He was $5 short, a conspicuous amount to be sure, since he was certain he had the money. My conscience caught up with me in a mighty way and I confessed my moment of weakness and indiscretion, hoping for leniency in my honesty, but my penalty was severe. First, my dishonesty forfeited me the opportunity to go to Rock Eagle while I stayed at home, grounded. Next, I had to tell my teachers why I had to stay behind. Then, I had to pay back the registration fee out of my allowance. Boy did I think this penalty was stiff because it caused me a financial setback as well as personal humiliation as I watched the bus pull off. One thing is for sure, however, I never stole again and my Mom and Dad instilled within me a deep appreciation for the truth.

In John 8:31-32, I am reminded of a word from the Lord as, Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” As I reflect over how that moment shaped me as an individual, I cannot help but think there are areas in all of our lives where we need to face the truth and allow ourselves the freedom that comes from living in a right relationship with God and our neighbor. Perhaps, we have been selling our partners short and not giving them the love they deserve. Perhaps we are guilty of stealing from ones we love or faceless folks in the community. Perhaps we have even cheated God and ourselves trying to get ahead at the expense of others. But if we hear the words of Jesus, then we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that there is no substitute for doing the right thing. And when we do, we can experience a great freedom for living…freedom from conscience, guilt, and shame.

So this Independence Day, might I impress upon you the importance of discovering a personal freedom by freeing yourself from the trapping of guilt and shame that comes from not living a life according to love, honesty, and a higher truth. So may you be blessed this Independence Day into living a life of true freedom and hope for a better life according to the wishes of God. Happy 4th of July and may you have a truly free Independence Day!

Being Still & Going With God

I have really been chewing on the scripture I used for this past week’s message at Lighthouse UMC. As I began working on the message, my intent was to focus on Moses parting the Red Sea, enabling the Israelites to cross the riverbed on dry ground. The more I worked on that story, however, three verses (well before the sea was parted) stood out, practically screaming at me for a closer look. Take a gander at Exodus 14.13-15, “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.”

I’m not sure if you caught that, but in successive verses, we read, “be still” and “move on.” The Israelites were fleeing Egypt after the plague that killed all of the first-born in the country. Suffice it to say, Egypt wasn’t too happy with God and His people. Pharaoh’s anger was getting the best of him, so he pursued the Israelites to kill every last one of them. As terror gripped the Israelites, hearing the Egyptian charge, God reminded them that they would be delivered. As this is taking place, Moses tells the people to be still.

When we perceive a potentially perilous situation, our bodies experience the physiological condition known as “fight or flight.” This means that we go through a conscious and subconscious deliberation to find out if it’s wiser for us to stand and fight or run away. Our pertinent senses become keener. Adrenaline rushes. It often happens in a split second, and while we’re at it, we’re gauging our own well-being. It really is amazing to try and comprehend what our brains can do, and this was happening to anywhere from 20,000 to 2,000,000 individuals hearing the Egyptian battle cries, horse hooves and chariot wheels bearing down on them. Some, I’m sure, wanted to run where some wanted to fight. Through it all, Moses says, be still. What!?!?!

God wants us to be still, but He doesn’t necessarily want us to stay that way. For in Exodus 14.15, He tells the Israelites to move. Is this a contradiction or a mistake? It’s neither. The people – even in the middle of the crisis with Pharaoh – needed to stop, regroup, and focus on God. He had done so much for them to that point, He wasn’t about to leave them at the water’s edge to meet their demise. He did want them to move, but he wanted them to move in His direction under His purpose.

The same is true for us today. It isn’t that God only wants us to be still … He does want us to go … He just wants us to go His way. When “fight or flight kicks” in, God wants us to know that if we are to fight, He is there with us. If we are called to flee, then He is leading the way.

How good are you at standing still? We don’t do that very well anymore, do we? From our hyper-active culture to the rapidly emerging reliance on up-to-the-second technology and media, standing still seems like a need for ages past. Yet, we can see that Scripture tells to be still and know who is God* – not a smart phone, day planner, laptop, or any other modern convenience. Let’s face it, God has been telling us for millennia that we need to be still and we’re making it harder and harder in the name of advancement and convenience.

I want to invite you to join me in a little exercise today and for the remainder of the week. Take some time to be still, and while standing still, look to the Lord to see where He wants you to go. He will show you; He might even be screaming it at you, but the loudness of the world is making you oblivious to His call. Once you know how and where to go, then go; but make sure you are going with God.

The Lord is delivering you. He is fighting for you. He is also leading you to safety. Let’s go with Him and make sure we are going with God!

*Psalm 46.10

Happy Father's Day

About 12:03am this morning, just as Tiff and I were getting ready to go to sleep, she looked at me and said, "Happy Father's Day." With a smile, I said, "thank you and I love you for making me a father."

As I wrote in my posting, 25 Things About Me, "Being a dad is the coolest thing I've ever been blessed to do." I remember the day Ethan was born (I wore a Superman tee-shirt given me by Tiff's mom at the baby shower!) and having that profound sense of awe knowing my life would never be the same. How true! As I watched my little guy swim yesterday at a friend's house (I've also blogged on teaching him to swim), I could not help but think about how proud I am that he is who he is and the incomparable love I feel for him and his mother.

I am also grateful this Father's Day for the fatherly love in my life. I have been blessed with a loving father, grandfathers, and now step-father. Their examples in my life have helped me consider how to handle situations with my own son as what to do. From dealing with simple life-lessons to how to handle bullies, I can draw upon my own life experience with the father-figures in my life for how I should love and lead my own son.

I say these glowing things about the father-figures in my life, but they were not perfect. I also realize I am not perfect, either. I strive to be perfect and do the best I can, but I need divine help to meet me where I cannot go. On this Father's Day, I know I must draw upon the love of God to fill in the gaps of my own experience and that in my relationship with Ethan. I turn to God -- though not often enough -- for help in doing and being the best I can be for my family. It can be scary to think of how far I have to go, but it's also inspiring to see how far I've come. It more or less falls into the category of elephant-eating instructions, I take it one bite at a time.

Though I only have a linear sense of time, I know that God has a vertical sense of time that is grounded in love. He does not want us to fear and he does not want us to worry. He has given us the supreme example of love that we might know his eternal concern and desire for us to know Him as our heavenly father. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8, "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."

Regardless of your life's impressions of father, may you come to know just how deeply God loves you. Dads aren't perfect, but our Lord is. He can, and will help you, if you give Him the chance. So if you never have before, allow this Father's Day to be one of a new and profound awareness of God's presence in your life.

“Every father should remember that one day his [child] will follow his
example instead of his advice.”
~ Source Unknown.

Happy Father's Day!

Today Is National Doughnut Day!

I used to love doughnuts! I still think they're tasty, but I got burned out on them. You see, when I worked at Six Flags, and shortly thereafter when I entered the ministry, doughnuts had a perpetual presence in my workplace. Let me tell you, I ate plenty. I repeat, plenty. I ate so many I'm not much of a doughnut eater these days. I learned something today, however, that might lead me to eat a doughnut, or at least make some kind of charitable contribution: Today (Friday, June 5) is National Doughnut Day!*

Here is a blurb regarding National Doughnut Day from http://www.holidayinsights.com/.

"National Doughnut Day honors the Salvation Army "Lassies" of WWI. It is also used as a fund raiser for needy causes of the Salvation Army.

The original Salvation Army Doughnut was first served by Salvation Army in 1917. During WWI, Salvation Army "lassies" were sent to the front lines of Europe. These brave volunteers made home cooked foods, and provided a moral boost to the troops. Often, the doughnuts were cooked in oil inside the of the metal helmet of an American soldier. The American infantrymen were commonly called doughboys. Salvation Army lassies were the only women outside of military personnel allowed to visit the front lines. Lt. Colonel Helen Purviance is considered the Salvation Army's "first doughnut girl".

On National Doughnut Day, look to see if your local doughnut shop, or other organizations, are offering free donuts to solicit donations for the Salvation Army or for another needy cause. If you find them, please be generous."

If you are a doughnut eater, make sure to think about today's significance. If you're like me and not a doughnut eater, find a way to give thanks for your freedom and consider doing something nice for the less fortunate.

Shine On!

*National Doughnut Day is always the first Friday in June

Swimming Lessons Can Change Your Life

Ethan and I made our first trip to the neighborhood pool the other day. While we were swimming together, he asked me about my teaching him how to swim when he was just about three-years-old. He picked it up pretty quickly, but remembering those days – and one afternoon in particular – made me reminisce fondly.

He had always been a water bug of sorts, the only problem was, he couldn’t swim on his own. He had water wings, noodles, and float suits to aid him, but the time was quickly approaching for him to learn how to truly swim. So one afternoon, our family ventured out to the neighborhood pool. We started by putting him in his float suit. After splashing around a bit, we then put him in his water wings. Shortly thereafter, we took the water wings off and I held him up while he got the feeling of kicking his feet and using his arms without any swim aids. He was getting the hang of it well enough and his confidence was beginning to soar. The time had come for my amphibian-in-training of a son to spread his fins and swim!

We started by standing on the steps to the pool in the shallow end. I stood at arms length from him and coaxed him into swimming to me from the step. After he made it back and forth a couple times—proving to himself he could swim without floats—he was ready to add a little distance. So I stood in front of him, still at arms length, and told him to swim to me. The closer he got the further back I would walk. As he realized what was going on, his eyes widened to the size of saucers and he began to truly swim. I started cheering him on, telling him he not only could do it, he was swimming all on his own.

I kept my arms held out to reassure him he was still within his father’s reach. Then at the moment he could no longer go on, I grabbed him, held him tightly, and gave him all the praise my body and soul could muster. Suddenly, I looked around and realized he swam the entire width of the pool! Just knowing his father was close gave him all the confidence he needed to reach deep down in his heart for strength greater than he could realize!

What a lesson we can glean from my son’s first swimming lesson. Sure he was intimidated and a little scared, but knowing his father was there gave him all the confidence he needed to face the challenge at hand and accomplish something perhaps he never thought possible. We all have a tendency to get comfortable and rely on “life preservers” to achieve things in life—particularly when faced with challenges. But these life preservers often keep us from tapping into the inner strength given by our loving Creator and having the faith to rise above the nearsighted low expectations we set for ourselves. For no matter what challenges lie before us, the hands of our heavenly Father are stretched out, offering us the assurance of His presence and infusing us with divine strength.

Isaiah 59.1 tells us, “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save...” What an image as we consider just how swimming lessons can change a life! When we realize the Lord is as close as breath, we need not fear the unknown. Knowing the Lord’s power and drawing upon it gives us the strength we need to face life’s challenges with complete confidence. Sure, life preservers can give us peace of mind, but the power of God can steady your heart. Press on, know the Lord is with you, and do not fear the unknown. For God said, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1.9b)

Remember: It's Memorial Day

I am a patriotic person. I even considered going into the military as a chaplain following 9/11, but decided against it as Tiffany and I started our family. Patriotism and military pride has been instilled in me from a very young age as both of my grandfathers served during World War II (one in the Army and the other in the Navy). For this reason, among others, Memorial Day is very special to me.

Memorial Day was first declared at the end of the Civil War in 1865, and established as a national holiday by the US Congress in 1971 to honor those who have given their lives in service to the country. It is one holiday, therefore, that is born from our loss and pain. We are blessed that we have the freedom and ability to take a day off, fire up the grill, and take a dip in the pool, but Memorial Day is about so much more.

One thing that has always inspired me about American history is the fact that the founders of our nation strove to set a foundation based upon the Judeo-Christian principles of love, grace, sacrifice, and justice. They believed that God cared about human freedoms and we would do well to consult with the Creator in all of our affairs, big and small. In fact, Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying at the Constitutional Convention, "I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?"

Now before I go too far and wax poetic, let me assure you that I am aware that the US is not perfect—far from it. Our current situation has us worrying about the environment; industry and the economy; debating over torture vs. enhanced interrogation; and what will come of our personal liberties amidst the threat of terror. When we think about our current state of affairs, it would be easy to wonder if we've lost our way and forgotten the eternal truth espoused by Benjamin Franklin.

If we have indeed lost our focus, I think Memorial Day provides us a marvelous opportunity to return to our roots. Though we are an imperfect nation governed by imperfect people, we would do well to remember just how much God loves ALL his children and the opportunistic responsibility we have to engage the world with the light and love of God. So this Memorial Day, I want to ask you to remember three things:
1) Remember God's desire for us individually and corporately
2) Remember our nation and leaders, regardless if you agree with them politically
3) Remember those who have fought and sacrificed to secure and preserve our freedom

We would do well to remember these truths of life. So on this Memorial Day, may you be thankful for the many blessings in life and remember the source of all things, God! For this holiday is a celebration of memory and allowing it to shape where we go from here.

Happy Memorial Day,
Pastor Mark