Tough Week

It's been a tough week. It started out well, with the opportunity to fly back to Vegas for the weekend. I was working, but it is always a blessing to be in Vegas (I still call it 'home')! So Friday morning we packed the family into the Jimmy at 5:10 AM and headed to Louisville so I could catch my SDF-PHX-LAS flight on Southwest.

Things went well in Vegas, but when I left, one key piece of the project was left unfinished. I felt a bit unfulfilled leaving once again with remaining work, but the parts I needed to complete the work were not available. It turns out they were found late Tuesday, having been onsite all weekend. Ouch!

About the time I'm receiving an email from the Vegas team telling me the missing gear was found under a desk in their green room, I get a phone call from my lovely bride telling me she is stranded on the side of New Circle here in Lexington. I'm sitting at home, having worked through the day via email on finding a solution for the Vegas team. I'm also stranded because our $1 car had died the previous week, so my wife is driving our only functioning vehicle.

A frantic call to the neighbors allows me to borrow their car (one they've borrowed from a friend for a few weeks as their car is in the shop for body repairs) so I can at least pick up our youngest from his bus stop while my bride waits for the tow truck to pick her up and bring the vehicle home. Having no money, well hopefully enough to pay the tow fee, we feel towing the broken vehicle home is our only solution.

As I'm driving the borrowed car from the neighbors, I decide to call our mechanic. He has stated in the past he is open to allowing payments on repairs, so I hope he will be open to some arrangement today. He is, so I call my wife and have her divert the tow truck to the mechanic's and the youngest and I will meet her there. We actually make it to her spot on New Circle just as the tow truck arrives, so my lovely bride, our youngest, and I drive in the borrowed car; following the tow truck to the mechanic's shop.

After dinner Tuesday night, my wife and I spent the next hour or so pushing the motorcycle up and down the hills in our neighborhood, trying to 'roll start' it. The motorcycle has only been ridden once this year due to the battery having died over the winter. Despite our efforts, it never turned over. We were truly without a vehicle.

The following morning our youngest gets a ride to his bus stop from the neighbor and my lovely bride walks 2-1/2 miles to the nearest bus stop, so she can ride the remaining 2-1/2 miles to her office. I 'tweet' and Facebook our predicament, and by late afternoon a friend has offered his truck to us for the next two days; as long as I have it back to him by Friday afternoon, I can use Barry's truck. This at least provides a short-term solution to our transportation.

I also learn Wednesday afternoon that the motor on the Jimmy will need to be replaced or rebuilt. Replacing it with a used motor will run $2,500 or rebuilding it will run $4,000+ ... neither option fits our current strained budget!

Hoping the $1 car will be an easy fix, I negotiate with the mechanic to swap cars in his garage, provided he will still allow us to make payments on any repairs. However, in a review of our limited funds later that afternoon, my bride and I decide to use the borrowed truck and a $12 tow strap from Wal-Mart to tow the $1 car to the shop; deciding we'll tow the Jimmy home the next night. It was surreal driving away from the shop late that Wednesday evening in a borrowed truck while our two vehicles sat outside side-by-side.

Early Thursday morning I run our youngest to his bus stop, return home to pick up my lovely bride and get her to her office, and then head up to the mechanic's to give him the keys to the $1 car and let him know of our plans. I handed him the keys and he sent his crew outside to take a look. I was told to expect a call later in the day.

Before I was even home, I received a call from the mechanic saying the $1 car also needed a new motor. The timing chain had slipped, bending all the rods. Wow! In two days we've lost both cars ... how discouraging is that?

I called my wife and she immediately went into a back room at work and prayed. I was too stunned and numb to pray much, but throughout the week had been sending up short, "God we need Your help" type prayers. It made me proud to know my bride's initial response in the midst of this crisis was to turn to God! Shortly there after, my wife called and we decided to have the cars towed home and would try to survive the next two weeks (I leave town for two weeks tomorrow) without any cars.

Shortly after that phone call, I received an email from the company I've spent a good part of the past three months working with, saying a large payment was going to be deposited to our account on Friday. I immediately offered a "Thank you Jesus!" prayer, forwarded the email to my wife, and then called her to tell her to check her email.

After we both celebrated on the phone, I began checking Craigslist, eBay, and Auto Trader; looking for cars we could purchase for cash. Our mechanic had contacted his preferred towing company and our two vehicles came on one truck. Before taking them off, the driver asked what I intended to do with the vehicles. I told him I really had no idea and he offered to buy them. I called my wife and she agreed it might not be a bad idea to sell them. I sold the Jimmy, the $1 car, and our broken Windstar (which had sat in the driveway for the past year) to the same guy. The few hundred we got for each was added to a portion of the paycheck I'd just received to provide us with enough to get something cheap, yet reliable.

I spent all of Thursday and Friday looking at Internet sales ads, emailing and calling leads, and even driving in the borrowed truck to go look at some. Everything I found simply wasn't a good fit. Finally, late in the day my lovely bride sent me a text saying her boss' son had a car and because it was for us, he would drop the price $600 off his asking price. I quickly called him up, and went to look at the car as I was on my way to drop off the borrowed truck.

I have to say, the car was clean! There were no tears in the seats or headliner. The carpet was also clean and there were no cracks in the dash or steering wheel. The trunk was clean and the car had its spare and jack. The engine cavity looked clean as well. The owner's manual was even in the glove box. Either someone had paid a lot of money making this car look very clean or someone had really taken good car of this car over the previous 14 years.

However, due to limited time, I didn't drive the car. I did talk it over with the seller, who said he didn't like selling to people he knows, so he wanted to let me know everything that was wrong with the car. He mentioned that occasionally it has trouble starting (possible starter in the future?), the tires have significant wear, and he had recently changed the timing belt but had not finalized the tension on the belts so there was an occasional squeal. I'm paying cash, and my mechanic had told me that in this price range if the car ran I was in good shape, so I thanked him for the information and passed over the money.

I dropped off the truck to Barry and then our oldest took me and our youngest back across town (he and his wife had come for dinner Friday night) to pick up our car. We arrived just as the sun was setting, so I needed to use the headlights. I turned on the car and the headlights, while our youngest played with the radio. On the drive home, I noticed the battery light was on. Our youngest checked the owner's manual and it said to have the battery checked. We made it home, and I showed the car to my bride, our oldest and his wife, and our youngest (who had already seen it as we drove home).

The next morning we got up early to take our youngest to a school club event, and the battery light was still on. When we arrived at the school, we found his group and parked while we waited. Suddenly, I couldn't start the car. The battery was dead. I found someone who had cables and we got a jump. My bride and I immediately headed to a parts store that provides free battery checks and learned the battery was at 0%, but still good; it simply wasn't charging. The store associate then tested the alternator, and sure enough, it had a bad diode.

Bad alternator? This wasn't on the list of issues I'd received the previous night. Now what? I talked it over with my wife; do we keep the car and fix it, or do we give it back and keep looking? I had sent a TON of emails over the previous two days to sellers, and that morning several were beginning to respond.

After a few minutes of talking, we chose to purchase a new alternator and try to fix it ourselves. I know just enough about cars to be able to replace an alternator, especially because this alternator was right up front and easy to access. We put $10 gas in the car (it was running on empty by now) while the engine was running and came home. Our neighbor saw the hood up and couldn't believe what we were experiencing. My bride and I spent the next hour working on replacing the alternator (successfully!) and then I called a friend who is a mechanic and asked him if I could meet up with him so he could check the tension on my belts.

While there was no squeal or chirping, we have to drive to Louisville on Monday (I'm flying to Houston for two weeks), and I didn't want to cause any damage in that round trip because of loose belts. My friend met us at his church and took a quick look, giving his approval at the tension.

Later in the day, we added wiper washer fluid (the tank was completely empty), and noticed it was leaking. Another item that didn't make the list Friday afternoon. A new wiper fluid reservoir costs $65. For now, we will simply go without wiper fluid, but that can't last long. Winters in Kentucky require use of a lot of wiper fluid, all the junk that is thrown up on your windshield from the other vehicles on the road needs to be removed frequently while driving.

So, it's been an emotional roller coaster week here. One thing that has been constant is we have a God who loves us. Too bad that love doesn't also mean that we don't have to face these emotionally challenging situations. I guess our lesson this week is that God is faithful, despite our circumstances. Faithful to still be there for us, faithful to always have our best in mind (however, realizing that best might be delayed until we are made perfect in His presence), faithful to be our source of hope.

God is faithful! Everything else, we just have to take day-to-day.

Celebrate the Small Things

This weekend I finally decided to tackle the two dripping shower faucets in our house. The one in the master bath has been dripping for almost two years, I only learned of the other drip a month or so ago. But after putting it off for far too long, I grabbed my wife and started taking apart the master bath shower faucet. I showed my lovely bride what I had learned a couple of months ago when I attempted to stop the leak in an effort to surprise my bride.

Several months ago, during a lull in work, I was sitting at home feeling my wife was disappointed in the lack of income, and felt maybe finally fixing the faucet would be a great surprise for her. However, after taking the faucet apart, I found there was no position on the knob that would completely shut off the drip. I theorized at the time we needed a completely new faucet. Knowing it was not in the budget at the time, I simply put everything back together and didn't discuss the findings with my wife.

This weekend, I attempted to show her the same issues I'd found during that previous attempt and, in the process, managed to almost flood the house. After successfully getting the water shut off at the street, I then pulled the entire faucet apart and located several O-rings that could be the source of the leak. We made a quick run to Home Depot, taking the faucet cartridge with us, and made an effort to identify the correct replacement O-rings from their selection.

Upon returning home, I replaced the O-rings on our shower faucet and turned the water back on at the street. There was still a leak, but it appeared to be less than before. We turned the water back off and proceeded to replace the same O-rings in the other bathroom. While tightening the faucet in the hall bath I thought maybe I could tighten the master bath faucet a little more, removing that leak. I went to the master bath with my channel locks and put some force into tightening the faucet. I felt it move; move too much, and had that "feeling," you know the one I'm talking about.

I told my wife I think I just broke this, so stand here as I turn on the water. I grabbed our youngest and had him call his mom on the phone while standing next to me as I went to the street to turn on our water again. I had just started opening the valve, when his mother had him tell me to turn the water off.

I went inside and sure enough, I had broken the solder connection inside the wall. Water would have been flowing inside our walls, causing a big mess had I not immediately turned off the main at the street.

So now an "under $5 repair" required a call to a plumber. I was not able to immediately connect with a plumber I've used in the past on the Hope Springs Church project, so I called a friend who may have connections with local plumbers for a name. He provided me with a friend he uses, and when I connected with the friend, I was told he could come out the next morning for $200. Ouch! Two hundred was more than I had anticipated, but we had just enough money in our account to purchase the new faucet, pay the plumber and put gas in the car for the week. God was providing for our needs!

Sunday morning my bride and I went to Home Depot and picked up the replacement faucet. On the way out of the store, I had the impression I should call my plumber friend one more time. Again, I received his voice message. However, before we left the parking lot, my plumber (Eric) called me back. I explained the problem and he said he could come by today and help for about $80. Awesome!

Eric came over around 1:30 on Sunday, replaced the master bath faucet, and then helped fix the mess I'd also made of the hall bath (I had put it back together incorrectly, causing it not to shut off). The final bill was $85!

So, not only had God made sure we had enough money on hand to pay for the parts and the initial plumber's price, He provided a better solution, allowing us to keep an additional $115 in our bank account!

Sometimes life is in the small things, and we need to celebrate them! Thank you God for providing and thank you Eric for helping us save money!

Double Standard?

I attend a mega church. It is the largest church in Lexington, Kentucky. I attended a mega church when I lived in Las Vegas. I like mega churches. They usually have the types of programs that are of interest to me. They have the best music in town (with such a large talent pool from which to draw, how could they not?). They are easy to "hide in" if I so choose, yet offer small groups where I can go deep and become genuine with a group of like minded people. I like mega churches.

So when a mega church decides they want to expand, they have outgrown their existing facilities and need to provide more room so more people can become a part of this, why is there so much push back?

The church I attend here in town recently announced they have received a budget of $30 million to purchase and build out a dilapidated former mall here in town. Immediately there were cries of outrage, in the paper, on the radio, and most likely from the pulpits of some of the smaller churches. How could they even consider spending so much? If this property becomes a church, the city (which is experiencing a budget crisis) will no longer be generating property tax revenue. Blah, blah, blah ...

Another church, one of the 10 fastest growing churches in America in 2009, located in Fullerton, California is in a very similar predicament. For 40 years this church has been on the same location. Two years ago their long-time pastor chose to retire. The search group settled on a great replacement, a man with experience growing churches while encouraging them to grow deep in their faith. Within months of the new pastor's first sermon, the church had grown from 1,500 to nearly 2,000 in weekend attenders.

Today, less than two short years into pastor Gene's ministry with the church, they are averaging over 4,000 each weekend.

The church was already in a building campaign when Gene was called. Due to the incredible growth, however, leadership has realized due to issues associated with being land-locked, construction costs, etc. it would not be prudent for them to invest in their current facility. They are seeking a new facility, one with a large laundry list of needs, while attempting to sell their existing facility.

What has been the response? How can we spend so much? Why don't we use the money for the poor and needy?

Here's the deal people:

-Both of these churches have terrific ministries to the poor.
-Both of these churches spend large sums of money in their local communities, providing services and meeting needs rather than standing idly by and letting the government help.
-Both of these churches are following the great commission, not watering down the truth, but holding firm to the gospel of Christ, meeting people where they are and showing them the path to salvation.
-Both of these churches have strong programs both in their community, in their states, in America, and internationally where the least, lost, and last are being served.
-Both of these churches realize that if they expand and reach more people, they will have even more influence in their current ministries and possibly be able to take on even more ministry opportunities.

I realize there will always be a double standard when it comes to churches. People will generally go for the "holier than thou" when it comes to large sums of money. It happened in Jesus' time:

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Matthew 26:6-13, New International Version)

Rather than worry about the money being spent, people in Jesus' time, and people of today, need to focus on the ministry. If the ministry is following the great commission, then we should celebrate their success, not condemn them! However, if the ministry is simply building an empire, we need to then get on our knees and ask God to intervene.

There will always be false prophets. There will always be self-serving preachers. There will always be men and women who claim to be from God but are not. The only test is the one offered by Jesus,

Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. (Matthew 7:15-20, New Living Translation)

The only test of a person, or a church, is the way they act. Those that are serving others, opening free clinics for the poor, going into the community in mass on work days, giving a cup of water in Jesus' name; those churches need to be celebrated, even when they invest $30 million or $40 million on new facilities. It is only through providing the facilities to minister to people they will be able to continue to produce good fruit!

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

A friend posted an interview with Francis Chan on his blog recently, so I watched the video, What's Next for Francis Chan. It is a discussion about what Francis is doing now that he is leaving Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley and moving towards launching a new work in the inner city of Los Angeles.

I was moved by Francis' words about learning that as American's we are focused too much on ourselves and on obtaining more "stuff," in part because that is where my lovely bride and I have come in our journey. I was so impressed by the words Francis shared, I emailed the link to my wife. Last night over dinner, we discussed what she had seen.

Not knowing who Francis Chan was, my wife was not as impressed as I was at his commitment to begin to focus living on less so he could be generous with more. My bride decided to look for more sermons and videos by Francis and ran across the following link, Lessons From Uganda. This sermon, more than the video my friend had posted, moved my wife to tears. She asked me to listen, so this morning I played the audio track while eating breakfast. Immediately, I had to post a blog.

In Lessons From Uganda, Francis demonstrates true religion, as described in James 1:27, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (New Living Translation) Mr. Chan then ties that with the greatest commandment:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your 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, New International Version)

Francis then challenges his congregation to put themselves into the text from Matthew. What does loving your neighbor as yourself look like, practically speaking? How do I live that way on a daily basis?

Francis talks about the pleasure of supporting four orphaned children, a family of kids who lost their parents to HIV/AIDS, in Uganda. He tells of the pleasure of meeting them, spending time with them, buying them clothes, food and pizza. He shares that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)! His prayer is the joy he and the team that accompanied him to Uganda experienced will permeate the rest of the Cornerstone family and they will become a church that truly demonstrates true religion.

It breaks my heart there are so few churches today who desire to demonstrate true religion. You may hear them say, I am loving my neighbor, why do you think we get together all the time in this place? We come together and encourage each other.

However, if you read the corresponding passage of love God, love your neighbor from Luke you will notice Jesus is asked, "Who is my neighbor?" In response, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.

If you remember the story, it is a stranger from another land, a land filled with people who are despised by the Jews, who demonstrates himself a neighbor. It wasn't the two religious men, it was the "enemy." I conclude that our neighbor then is anyone we see who is in need; the homeless man (or woman, or children) on the street. Yes, that dirty person who is going to take your money and buy alcohol or drugs. That is your neighbor. How does loving them as yourself look, practically speaking?

Wait, what are you saying? I'm saying the same thing as Francis Chan, the same thing as Jon Weece (Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky), the same thing as Jesus. If you want to experience the joy of true religion, if you want to find the abundance Jesus promises in John 10:10 (the inspiration for this blog's title), you have to love God and then love people. But just loving people isn't enough. You have to love them as yourself.

And that is the hard part. Loving people, especially if we consider throwing a few dollars at them love, is something American's have demonstrated an ability to do. But to get dirty with them, to step into their lives and become a part of that scene, to truly show strangers the same level of love I show myself (whom I deny nothing); that is hard.

But Francis has found in doing so, he has found so much! Francis ended his Lessons From Uganda with another Jesus quote, one I find appropriate as well to challenge you today:

"Jesus said to all of them, "If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing to give up their lives daily to follow me. Those who want to save their lives will give up true life. But those who give up their lives for me will have true life. It is worthless to have the whole world if they themselves are destroyed or lost." (Luke 9: 23-25, New Century Version)

How are you doing in following the greatest commandment? What things do you need to rearrange in your life so you are honestly loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself; in such as manner as to be holding nothing back? I believe Jesus, and I believe Francis Chan; if you love in this way, if you practice true religion as God the father has defined, you will find abundant life!

Will you join me, my lovely bride, Francis Chan, Jon Weece, and so many others in this journey?

God Provides

Being out on the road for almost three weeks in August did a number on our finances. Having not worked very much earlier in the year, we had exhausted our reserves. However, when I'm on the road, I need to be able to eat. I do my best to keep my meals costs limited, but $20 to $25 dollars a day is pretty much a requirement.

Unfortunately, not all hotels provide breakfast. When I get to stay at one that does, my daily expenses are lowered. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, of the hotels I used on the last trip, only 1 of 3 provided breakfast. At the rest, I used their resident Starbucks, adding $5 to $8 to my daily needs.

In addition, I had some expenses I had to pick up, gas in three rental cars, the cost of one of the rental cars, and some job site supplies. It all added up.

In order to make due, I used money that would have otherwise gone to pay our utilities. No, this is not a fiscally sound idea, but it was necessary this time out. I arrived home on Thursday evening, and the phone and electric were scheduled to be shut off on Monday. Over the weekend, my lovely bride and I went through our finances in an effort to find the money for these two bills that had reached critical need.

As He has done so many times over the last five years, God stepped in to provide. By shifting funds from one account to another, we were able to pay the phone and electric bills, holding off the disconnect. We currently only have $4 in one account, $5 in each of two other accounts, and $11 in savings; but we have a phone, Internet, and electricity.

Today is payday for my lovely bride, and the money will be used for food, gas in the vehicles, pay our water bill (today is the last day before that is disconnected) and gas utility bill. That should be sufficient to get us through another week until she is paid again.

I have a local job next week, so out-of-pocket expenses should be at a minimum. I am also waiting on payment for my time and expenses for the jobs in August, so cash is on the way.

It never ceases to amaze me how close we come to the edge before God jumps in with a miracle. After five years of finding Him to rarely be early, but never late; I still am in awe each time He shows up. That's a good thing, I imagine. I'd hate to wake up one day having taken God for granted. I always want to sit in wonder at His greatness, His love, and His generosity.

Where is God showing up in your life? Are you recognizing His presence and presents in your life, or are you simply taking the blessings He offers for granted? Find something in your life that is there because of God and take the time today to thank Him. You'll be glad you did!

Living a Public Life

There has been a lot of press lately about people losing jobs or receiving some disciplinary action due to Facebook and/or Twitter posts. I'm sure the same could be said about their blog posts, too.

It is unavoidable that if you live your life in the public forum, you can face consequences by those who feel the information you've shared should not have been public.

That is why when I post about jobs, I only say the city, have not said the company name (although those who are close to me know it, and once or twice the company name has been posted by someone else on my Facebook page in response to a status update), and make every effort to share my joys and passions of my job while trying to keep some anonymity for others.

My wife has taken another approach. She simply does not have a Facebook or Twitter account, nor does she blog. In fact, she has asked me to never post pictures on my Facebook that include her. She's asked the same of our three sons, but they have ignored her request.

It seems technology has once again taken society into a place where things are moving so quickly, people simply do not have either the time nor the ability to contemplate consequences of their use of the technology. I recently heard an executive from Google state it will become commonplace for people to legally change their names when moving from childhood to adulthood, simply so they can escape the public persona they've created online.

In a world where Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sights have become marketing tools for companies and individuals; where people are often able to either find a job, or lose a job, because of a status update or tweet; where everything some people do is played out in a public forum; isn't it strange we are still so isolated? I have 283 friends on Facebook, follow 58 people on Twitter and have 67 Twitter followers, yet many times I feel isolated. Sure there are people out there who know what I post online, but do they know the real me? Will they pick up the phone at 3 AM when I'm in crisis because of some bad news I've just received? Do my Facebook and Twitter friends have "refrigerator rights?"

Unfortunately, the answer is no. I honestly have very few face-to-face friends who I've offered refrigerator rights. So living a public life, having Facebook and Twitter accounts, posting on a blog regularly, having published a book; none of these things provide true friendship, true camaraderie. It is only through a deep relationship with God, only through seeking His will for my life each day, only as a result of my daily time in His word and through prayer that I find truth. That time is the most valuable of my daily pursuit. Time with God, time with my lovely bride, time with our youngest (the only son still living at home); those things will determine how satisfying my life will be.

Everything else, all the public posts, the 140 character updates, the blog ramblings; those things are a part of who I am, they are not who I am.

Are you living a public life that is a lie? Are you "hiding" in public, afraid to go deep with someone God has placed in your life? Are you running from God and not spending time with Him? Find out what really matters, everything else will become more focused!

Re-Entry

My job requires long hours and frequent travel; that is when I'm working. I'm an independent contractor and do not have constant employment.

My last trip was scheduled to be 13 days. I flew out of Louisville to Chicago to join the team. The next morning we flew to Houston for a week-long project. On Saturday one of the guys and I drove to Dallas where we would join the team we'd work with during our second week.

Fast forward to Thursday, week two. Around 4 pm one of the corporate guys who is onsite asks me when I'm scheduled to fly home. I tell him Saturday at 1:30. Two hours later he asks me if I'd be OK if they flew me to Las Vegas to work Friday and Saturday and I'd fly home on Sunday, one day later. I quickly called my wife (I don't make decisions like that without consulting her, it's her life too!) and we both agreed the extra day of pay was good at this time in our life and one extra day away wouldn't be too strenuous on our lives.

So at 6:15 am the next morning I'm on a flight out of Austin, Texas headed to Phoenix, Arizona and then on to Las Vegas. Once onsite, it became apparent two days was not sufficient to complete the work necessary for this project. Late Saturday night I get a text asking if I would be willing to take Sunday off and stay over into the following week to help finish the project. The company would fly in additional resources to help. Once again, I called my wife and we quickly discussed the situation. We decided that as long as I could come home on Thursday (my 18th day out), it would be acceptable.

I took Sunday off, spending time with my brother-in-law, niece and nephews in Las Vegas, doing some laundry, and trying to simply relax. The "new recruits" arrived Monday morning and we worked hard through the week, finishing around 3 am Thursday morning.

I caught my flight from Las Vegas to Detroit and then on to Louisville where my lovely bride and youngest son picked me up. We stopped for Dairy Queen (my wife wanted some) on the drive home to Lexington and pretty much all went to bed once home.

Today is the fifth day since my return and I'm still struggling to find a "home rhythm" ... our work schedule is simple: 12 - 15 hour days, some food, phone calls home, maybe some email time, and sleep. Home is more complicated. Home is dishes, laundry, taking our youngest to the bus stop, being emotionally available to my family even when I'm still tired from my trip.

I'm reminded of the line from the journey song, Faithfully, that says, "Two strangers learn to fall in love again." That is what it seems like each time I'm out for long periods of time; I have to re-enter my family. I have to learn their schedules, their rhythms, their needs.

Please don't hear me complaining. I love my family and I love my job. I truly enjoy the time I'm on the jobsite and continue to hope and pray for more work. I also enjoy the time I'm home with family. Today was simply a day to reflect, a day to process this re-entry phenomenon.

My next job is a local job. I'm working on a project here in Lexington next week. It will still be the same 12 - 15 hour days, only this time I'm sleeping in my own bed. It has been a year since I did a local job, and I honestly don't remember if working locally was easier or harder on the family. In some ways I'm here, even though I'm not at dinner, not available to run that errand, not available to say goodnight to my son or my lovely bride.

I love my family and I love my job. I just hope and pray that as more work comes my way, we find a better way to face re-entry ... it is by far the hardest part of this life.

Miracles All Around

I've been on the jobsite this past week. We usually work 12 hour days while doing system integrations, so blogging is difficult. I have been able to maintain my daily Bible reading, making sure I'm up enough before call time to spend my 1/2 hour with God each morning.

Despite the long hours, I love what I do, working with different churches across the country. Last week I was in Katy, Texas, just outside Houston and this week I'm in Temple, Texas, south of Dallas.

This trip has been tough, however, because it has been several months since I've had an income. My business credit cards are maxed and the bank account is empty. I've managed, but Friday night there was a crisis. I was to rent a car at Hobby Airport in Houston to drive on Saturday to Love Field in Dallas. I was provided the confirmation from my employer for the rental car, and since the reservation came via Hotwire, I didn't think twice about the payment.

Unfortunately, when I arrived at the rental counter, I was required to pay the rental fee. It had not been prepaid with the reservation. Now, a normal one day rental is only a few dollars, but because this was a one-way rental, the charge was $145. I didn't have that much on a credit card nor did I have that much in my business checking. I ended up using my personal debit card, pulling from money my wife would need for the week.

The miracle happened when I arrived in Dallas. My employer had reserved a full-size car for us, but they only had mid-size cars in Houston. Because the Houston Hobby rental agent was so difficult to work with, I chose to address the issue when I returned the car in Dallas. After checking in with the lot attendant at Love Field, I went into the rental office. The agent there was more than willing to help and after talking to the manager started a $25.00 refund to the account.

After a few minutes of typing on the computer, the agent in Dallas called for her manager to come check her work before completing the ticket. The Dallas manager came, made a few changes to the process, and as he walked away told me it had come out even better.

When the very helpful rental agent printed out my receipt, they had deducted $55.00, not the original $25! My first cash-flow miracle of the week.

As I was talking to my wife on the phone (she had graciously listened to my diatribe Friday night as I vented having to pay personally for the vehicle plus having a smaller car for the drive the following morning), sharing with her the blessing of the $55 savings, she also told me about a second miracle.

Again, because I've not been working consistently for a few months, we had fallen behind in our mortgage. We had been working with the mortgage company for a loan modification, and late this week received a letter saying they had deferred our back payments!

It appears that with the work I've completed last week, the work I am about to begin in a few short hours, and the upcoming project I have at the beginning of September, we will not only be able to get our bills caught up, we will possibly have a little extra to be able to rebuild our "rainy day fund."

And building that fund is good, because as many of you can attest, it is currently raining. Fortunately, in the midst of the rain, God provided my family a rainbow! I hope you are able to find rainbows in the midst of your storms as well!

Silver Was Worthless

I'm reading I Kings currently, and today I read about Solomon's wealth. I Kings 10:21 struck me, "All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!" (New Living Translation)

Earlier in the chapter, in verse 10 we learn why silver was worthless, "The gold that came to Solomon in one year weighed 49,950 pounds." (God's Word Translation) If you had your abundance of gold, why would you need silver?

Curiosity got the best of me and I went to www.GoldPrice.org to find the current price for gold. It was $1,205.00 per ounce. Multiply that by 16 ounces in a pound, and Solomon's annual gold income, in today's values, would have been $963,036,000. Nearly a billion dollars a year came to Solomon in gold! (Author's Note: other translations say: "each year" as opposed to the God's Word translation of one year, hence my converting this to an annual income.)

I guess if I was making a billion dollars a year, I too would consider silver to be worthless.

Unfortunately, as I was closing my Bible this morning, I noticed the heading for chapter 11: Solomon's Idolatry. I guess that explains the words of Agur, son of Jakeh, in Proverbs 30:7-9 (New Century Version):

"I ask two things from you, Lord.
Don't refuse me before I die.
Keep me from lying and being dishonest.
And don't make me either rich or poor;
just give me enough food for each day.
If I have too much, I might reject you
and say, 'I don't know the Lord.'
If I am poor, I might steal
and disgrace the name of my God."

Oh had Solomon used his wisdom in his youth to understand that in riches there are many traps. Unfortunately, he didn't learn that lesson until the end of his life. Thirty-two times he uses the word meaningless in the New International Version's translation of the book of Ecclesiastes. "Like chasing after the wind" is used nine times in that same translation. Solomon learned, through much pain, true wisdom comes from God; wealth and things usually lead us away from Him.

Today my prayer was that of Agur from Proverbs. I hope that is your prayer as well!

Free Samples

I was listening to the radio the other day in the car when the DJ started talking about free samples. She said many sales in America are a direct result of free samples. I'm not sure if her premise was based on a study or simply personal observation.

However, if free samples didn't work, weekends at Sam's Club and Costco would be very different. I have friends who go to the "Costco buffet" on a regular basis. Last weekend my wife and I were not shy at our local Kroger, taking several of the samples offered. If the cost of these displays was not profitable, you wouldn't see them.

Because I was listening to a Christian station, the DJ then made the spiritual application. If we want people to know God, we need to make sure they get free samples too. She quoted Psalm 34:8: "Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!" (New Living Translation)

Think about it, what is the reputation of Christianity in the world today? Not very good. In fact, a very famous convert from atheism to Christianity, Anne Rice, recently made a very public departure. Let me be clear, Anne didn't quit Jesus, she simply quit organized religion. In her statement on her Facebook page, Anne wrote:

"For those who care, and I understand if you don’t: Today I quit being a Christian. I’m out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being “Christian” or to being part of Christianity. It’s simply impossible for me to “belong” to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’m an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else."

Anne continued the dialog on Facebook, placing the following post:

"As I said below, I quit being a Christian. I’m out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.”

Anne reaffirmed her faith in Christ despite a lack of faith in Christianity with another Facebook post:

"My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become."

I doubt Anne's feelings are hers alone. Far too many people have publicly said they would follow Jesus if it were not for the "Christians" they knew. It seems to me the biggest deterrent to modern people following Jesus is his church.

This is such a departure from the early days of the church. In Acts 2:46-47 we read: "The believers met together in the Temple every day. They ate together in their homes, happy to share their food with joyful hearts. They praised God and were liked by all the people. Every day the Lord added those who were being saved to the group of believers." (New Century Version)

What has moved us from "were liked by all the people" to "I'd gladly follow Christ except for all the Christians I've met in my life"? I think we've forgotten about free samples.

Jesus told us how to change the world. He didn't call us to assemble in big, beautiful buildings with great sound systems. He didn't call us to give money so the "professionals" can handle the ministry. Jesus very simply said, "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." (Matthew 10:42, NIV).

In James we read, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (James 1:27, New Living Translation)

If we get back to offering free samples: giving drinks of water in Jesus' name; caring for the widows (and single moms) and orphans (and children of single moms); and helping the last, the least, and the lost among us, I believe people like Anne Rice will applaud our efforts, quite possibly even stepping up to help.

I know my lovely bride and I are making the decision to do more. Will you help us?

Living A Better Story

Please bear with me as I'm going to deviate slightly from my usual blog posts today. If you follow this blog regularly, you know I generally write about my daily struggles as I strive to live into the abundance Jesus promised in John 10:10. My slight deviation will be that in addition to speaking to how I want to view my life, I will also be telling about how attending a conference in Portland, OR this September could help me better achieve a better life "story."

I recently read Don Miller's book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years and was impressed by his understanding of how life is a story we have the ability to control, rather than simply letting life control us. I posted about this on June 30, 2010 in the post Where I Am Right Now. I discussed how so often my life is simply flying by and I'm going to wake up one day and wonder where it all went.

I then ran across a post by Don Miller on his blog (see Don's blog here) about a contest to win a trip to Portland, OR for his upcoming Living a Better Story Seminar (see conference details here). So today I enter that contest with this blog. But before you read my post, please watch the video from Don.

Living a Better Story

My life has changed significantly in the past 8 years. I used to be consumed with the American dream, building a stable "nest egg" for myself and my family. By age 24 I had a house, a truck, a car, and a boat. My good friend and I would spend weekends at the lake, having loaded his two jet skis in the bed of my truck that also towed my 17-1/2 foot jet boat with a 455 Oldsmobile engine. Our lives consisted of fun, sun, and beautiful beaches!

It seemed like I had it all back then, but in reality, I had nothing! Fortunately, I have since learned that true life isn't in seeking personal pleasure, it is in helping others find their path.

Eight years ago I lost my job, it was the second job I'd lost in four months. My new bride and I were now strangers in a new state, with a new home, no friends locally, and a "million miles" from family.

Yes, I'd doubled my income in a matter of three years; but simply having a great paycheck wasn't enough. In doubling my income, we'd also doubled our debt. We were drowning in the American dream!

It was then we truly began to look at our lives and realize something was significantly wrong. We had been striving towards incorrect goals. We both sat down, confessed our sins to our Heavenly Father, and decided on that day we would begin to pursue His goals for our lives.

We decided to "cap" our income, committing to donate everything we earned over and above that level directly to God-related programs. We began the painful process of paying off our mountain of debt, including cutting up our credit cards. We felt lead to open a small business in order to secure our financial future plus ensure we had the ability to fulfill our donations commitment.

God's response to our actions? He spent the next five years cutting our income in half. We didn't grow our income, realize financial independence, and gain the ability to give generously from our excess. Rather, we have almost hit rock bottom, daily struggle to meet our obligations, and often wonder how it all "went wrong."

However, if you follow me, you know that in the midst of the financial fall, we committed to give from what we had, and continue to support three important projects today, despite the significant cuts to our revenue streams.

This brings us to my better story and how the Better Story Seminar can help. I desire to continue to learn how to strive to achieve my goals, despite outside setbacks. I believe that despite the circumstances, my bride and I are on the right path. I believe our lives need to be devoted to helping the less fortunate; finding new ways to share with others; and spread the word that a life devoted to helping the last, least, and lost is the only life worth living.

I believe the insights and new tools I would be introduced to at the Better Story Seminar can be the impetus to help me achieve the next level on my journey. As you see from my June posting, I've kind of hit a rut this year. If you continue to read my daily struggles through July, however, you will also notice that despite continued setbacks I continue to hold on to the promise that better things can be achieved.

If I were to win this contest and be at the seminar in Portland, I hope to find tools that help me remain "on story" even in the midst of life's assaults. I also hope to be able to connect with others and learn their story and how they continue to remain focused in the midst of day-to-day issues. Most importantly, I believe the "high" I would expect from being at a conference with great speakers and others from around the world who also want to live a better story would catapult me further into my story.

It's hard to limit the story and the benefits of a seminar into a blog post; I feel I could type on for an eternity. However, I also realize that simply typing isn't all I'm called to do. I have to also get off the couch, go outside, and interact with those I'm called to help. I hope to see you in Portland so we can share about our successes, our trials, and encourage each other in our stories!

When Did We Forget How to Share?

From our earliest days on earth, we are taught to share. Little children on play dates are always being instructed by their parents to share their toys. In kindergarten, teachers continue the instruction to their charges; share the crayons, share your glue, share.

Even as we grow older, we continue to share. In part, due to the fact there are not enough books for every student, we share text books throughout our education. Some friends share clothes, passing them around their small circle. In college, several of us shared our cars with other students who didn't have a car on campus.

Somewhere in our life, however, this training that was so instilled in us as children is lost. As an adult, I don't remember the last time I shared something of mine, whether it was with a friend or family member.

Yet we are taught by Jesus that everything we have is from our Father in Heaven. The Bible says: "Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live." (I Corinthians 8:6, NIV) So if everything is from the Father, why do we hoard things for ourselves once we become adults?

Shouldn't we follow the teachings from our youth and share? If a friend has need of transportation, shouldn't we let them use our car? If we learn someone needs a place to sleep, shouldn't we offer our "guest bedroom" to them? If we see someone on the street who is hungry, shouldn't we get them some food?

I know you cynics out there will offer many excuses as to why you shouldn't help strangers, especially those who live on the street. And yes, in today's world there are many dangerous people, so I agree care should be taken. But in Hebrews 13:1-3 we read: "Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it! Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you." (The Message)

How many times have we missed an opportunity with an angel because we forgot what we learned as children? Find someone with whom to share your riches today, I have a feeling you might just get more out of it than they do!

Sometimes Trouble Comes Our Way

I mentioned in a recent post I've been reading the book of Judges each morning for my daily time with God. Judges is a hard book to understand sometimes. There are stories that make you sit back and ask, "How am I supposed to glean some spiritual insights from this? How does this story of death, mayhem, and debauchery help me become a better Christian?

Judges 19 - 20 is just one such passage. A Levite takes a concubine. She then leaves him and returns to her father's house. The Levite pursues her and after several days at her father's house (which in and of itself is a confusing tale), begins the long journey home. Not having enough daylight to make the entire journey, the traveling group spends the night in Gibeah (a city of the tribe of Benjamin).

During the night, the men of Gibeah come to the house where the Levite and his group are staying and demand the owner of the house send the Levite out so they may "have sex with him," Judges 19:22 (God's Word Translation). The owner of the house tells the men they should not do this wicked thing to his guest and offers his virgin daughter to them instead. The men refuse, and only after the concubine has been sent out do the men leave.

The following morning the Levite gets up to prepare to leave and finds his concubine laying dead at the door. He takes her home, cuts her into twelve pieces, and distributes the pieces to the twelve tribes of Israel; (it's in the bible people, check it out for yourself).

The tribes of Israel assemble and ask, "Tell us how such an evil thing could happen," Judges 20:3 (God's Word Translation). The Levite tells the story and the people say they will attack Benjamin.

Prior to making the final preparations for war, the tribes pray to God and ask, "'Who will go first to fight Benjamin?' The Lord answered, 'Judah will go first.'" (Judges 20:18, God's Word Translation)

Israel attacks with Judah in the front and the much smaller force from Benjamin routes them, killing 22,000 men the first day. Israel cries out to God, "'Should we continue to wage war against our close relatives, the men of Benjamin?' The Lord answered, 'Go fight them!'" (Judges 20:23, God's Word Translation)

On the second day, Israel (remember, they are following God's directions here) attacks Benjamin. Once again, the much smaller force of Benjamin (Israel brought 400,000 soldiers, Benjamin had 26,700 men) routed their Israelite brothers, killing another 18,000 men.

That evening, the men of Israel retreated and came to the Ark of the Lord where they "fasted that day until evening then they sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord." (Judges 20:26, God's Word Translation) After a day of fasting and sacrifice, the Israelites asked God if they should continue the battle and He responded, "'Go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you.'" (Judges 20:28, God's Word Translation)

The men of Israel had assembled to "right a wrong" done in their country. Prior to marching, they had sought God's council and followed His directions. Despite taking the appropriate steps, 40,000 men lost their lives in battle as a much smaller force routed them. If anyone had a right to cry, "God, why do the godless prosper when the Godly perish?" it was this group of Israelite soldiers.

As I prayed to ask God why this story exists this morning, I heard "sometimes trouble comes our way." There are Christians out there who preach that once you become a Christian, with enough faith, only blessings will come. Follow God and you will receive untold riches, blessings, and be healthy.

To them I say, read Judges 19 - 20. These men followed God, offered sacrifices, they even fasted. And yet they were routed by a smaller, evil force. Or read the books of Paul. Did ever a more zealous, Godly man live? Yet he was beaten, shipwrecked, hungry, and endured a "thorn in the flesh" that God refused to remove. If the Apostle Paul cannot get God's healing, how much faith does it take?

Yes, God is in control. But despite that, sometimes bad things come our way. They may simply be to show us that God is in control. Imagine if the Israelite army had won on the first day. The victory would not have been God's it would have been theirs. However, because they took three days, there was no question who brought the victory.

My wife and I have spent five years praying and asking God to bless us so we can in turn bless those around us. I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to bless those around us with the means God had given us right now, and not wait until I had more. Has God responded by growing our wealth, giving us more with which to bless others? No, He has actually continued to shrink our income, shrink our assets, and I think shrink our influence. Yet we remain faithful, continuing to fund the initiatives we started a few years ago despite the smaller income.

Times are tough, funds are tight, we are behind on some important bills. But each month we give our first fruits to God, add the offerings we committed to the causes we feel are appropriate based on God's teaching, and then pray the rest is sufficient to meet our needs.

Sometimes trouble comes our way. The true test of our Christianity is how we react in those times. Are you facing trouble victoriously or have you caved in to humanistic fears? Turn back to Jesus, call to him for forgiveness and follow his teachings. Then you have the opportunity to achieve victory!

Forcefully Advancing

I've been delinquent in my blog this past week. Last weekend was my wife's annual family reunion, and thanks to the generosity of one of her brothers, we were able to attend.

Each year her great-grandfather's descendants gather in Manton, Michigan (off the 131 north of Cadillac, Michigan) for a few hours on a Saturday in July to catch up, eat, and spend money at the white elephant auction. This past weekend was the 29th reunion, but my lovely bride and I have only had the privilege of attending four of them.

Even though we were only gone a few days (we left Lexington at 5:30 pm on Thursday and were home again by 11:30 pm Sunday), the time away threw off some of my rhythms. Blogging regularly was one of those things that was easy to let slide. Reading my Bible prior to eating while on the trip was also something easily forgotten. It wasn't until sometime late Friday I realized I had not done my daily reading and yet had eaten breakfast with her brother and sister-in-law in Hastings, Michigan and grabbed lunch as we made the next leg of our journey north to Traverse City, Michigan where we would be staying at her uncle's house.

Fortunately, I have a lovely wife who desires to help me be better, and she read to me as we drove north that afternoon to help keep me on track. That became our daily ritual, each day as we were in the car making the journey to some destination, my bride would read to me from her Bible. I was able to remain connected to God through daily bible reading, and able to share some of my thoughts about the reading with my wife.

I am grateful my wife helped keep me on track and focused each day of vacation as it pertains to my commitment to read God's word. However, I am concerned at how easily I was able to forsake a practice I thought had become habit; a daily routine I had managed to maintain even while traveling for work. Somehow, going on vacation physically offered my spiritual routine a chance to also "check out."

As I sat at home this afternoon thinking about how easy it was for me to get off track last weekend, I received an email from a church I follow through the internet. Eastside Christian Church (www.eastside.com) is located in Fullerton, CA. In the past year, this church has experienced significant growth as a new pastor has come in and challenged the church to allow God to breath new life into their midst. The growth of the congregation, not simply in numbers, but in spiritual matters as well, has been a joy to watch.

As I read about the new series Gene Appel will be starting this weekend, Dangerous, I was reminded about Matthew 11:12: "And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it." (New Living Translation)

Listen to Gene's description of the Christian life he desires to live: "I want to be a more dangerous follower of Jesus. Jesus doesn't call us to a bland mediocre life of safety, but to a life of risk, adventure, and on-the-edge faith. I want to live with a more dangerous faith, pray more dangerous prayers, see Eastside be a more dangerous church, and take some new dangerous risks with those who are far from God."

Doesn't that sound similar to the passage in Matthew? Wouldn't living life as a more dangerous follower of Jesus be necessary to forcefully advance the Kingdom of Heaven?

Gene has just returned from his summer study break, and I have just returned from a very mini vacation with my family. Yet somehow, despite the differences in the length of our time away, we have both realized we must be intentional if we are going to make a difference for the cause of Christ. How we live each day, the decisions we make while in our normal routine or while on vacation, are important to the big picture.

I look forward to hearing the sermons online as they are posted. I can't wait to see how living dangerously for Jesus continues to change the Eastside family, and me.

Are you forcefully advancing? Maybe you've been on vacation too long. I invite you to join in our quest to live dangerously, forcefully advancing the Kingdom of God.

Inspiration Comes When Least Expected

My family is leaving for Michigan later today to attend the Van Pelt Family Reunion just outside Traverse City, Michigan on Saturday. My father-in-law is the grandson of one of the Van Pelt daughters, hence our connection to the family.

As I was packing, doing laundry, cleaning out the car, and all those other things you do just prior to leaving town for an extended weekend, my youngest was watching the movie Chocolat. I was only able to catch parts of the movie, but immediately recognized this small French community was under the dictatorship of a very controlling man. To make matters worse, the man used as his mouthpiece the priest.

Each Sunday people were chastised by the homily. Using his strong influence over the priest, the mayor would provide significant input into the homily, using the pulpit to influence local policy. Every time an element the mayor did not wish to tolerate came into town (the woman who set up a chocolate shop, the "river people" who docked along the shore of the river), the mayor would influence the priest to describe how this new influence was evil. The influence was so significant, there is a scene where the priest includes a lecture against one of the groups during a funeral.

While I'd like to say this sort of spiritual control no longer happens, that as people have learned more about God's grace, they have become more Christ-like in their daily lives, it simply isn't true. You don't have to wait very long in some churches before you hear some form of "hate speech" (for lack of a better description). Even in a world where tolerance is expected, so often those who have received forgiveness for so much, offer forgiveness to so few.

Like this French village, we are so often caught up in outward appearance and miss the eternal. Unfortunately, this is not some new phenomenon that has risen out of the vanity of the modern age. The inability of people to see each other as God sees them has been around for a very long time. In 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) we read: "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'"

Fortunately, the story takes a turn for the better. Near the end of the movie, redemption (and restoration) is achieved when the priest stands up on Easter Sunday and says:

"I'm not sure what the theme of my homily today ought to be. Do I want to speak of the miracle of our Lord's divine transformation? Not really, no. I don't want to talk about his divinity, I'd rather talk about his humanity. I mean, you know, how he lived his life here on earth. His kindness, his tolerance. Listen, here's what I think. I think we can't go around measuring our goodness by what we don't do, by what we deny ourselves, what we resist, and who we exclude. I think we've got to measure goodness by what we embrace, what we create, and who we include."

A few weeks back, I posted a blog about a group of people who did exactly that, they embraced Jesus' humanity. These men went to a gay pride parade with signs and shirts saying they were sorry, sorry for the way the church has treated the gay community. Through their humility, a bridge was built. These men understood the humanity of Jesus.

How are you living your life today? Are you living in a judgmental, intolerant, holier-than-thou manner, or are you striving to live each day of your life in a manner that honors the humanness of Jesus? I'm not talking about wearing a WWJD bracelet. I'm talking about digging deep into the scripture and learning for yourself just who Jesus was, what he did, and how you can emulate him. How can I ask myself "what would Jesus do" if I don't truly understand who Jesus was?

Take a good look at your life today and choose. Will I continue to live my life in the same narcissistic manner that has brought me this far or will I realize that only through connecting the least, the last, and the lost with the human face of Jesus will I also be "saved."

In Too Deep?

As a result of the series we just completed at church, "If God Is Good ...," I began reading the book with the same title written by Randy Alcorn. Today I wanted to share some of the initial insights I have learned in the first few chapters.

As you might expect, the book has to deal with difficult situations. If you follow this blog, you know that in recent posts I've been writing about personal struggles my lovely bride and I have been enduring recently. Quite probably due to my current situation, the early pages of Mr. Alcorn's book seem to resonate deeply with my soul.

On page 12 he wrote: "If you base your faith on lack of affliction, your faith lives on the brink of extinction and will fall apart because of a frightening diagnosis or a shattering phone call. Token faith will not survive suffering, nor should it."

That kind of slaps you in the face, doesn't it? If your faith isn't tested, how can you know if it is real? Well, I have to say, having lived deep in the muck of life for the past who knows how long, I have to say my faith is real. Each day I wake up knowing there is a God, knowing he is in control, and knowing he has conquered death. My faith is real.

Turning to page 14 we read: "I never expected that a Christian who had access to God could feel so empty and alone." This describes someone who was crying out to God in the midst of their difficulties, and yet felt alone. It kind of sounds like Psalm 10:1, "Lord, why are you so far away? Why do you hide when there is trouble?" (New Century Version)

What about Psalm 44:23-24, NCV: "Wake up, Lord! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don't reject us forever. Why do you hide from us? Have you forgotten our pain and troubles?"

What about when you are feeling like God has abandoned you, does that mean you are in too deep, that you've lost your faith? Habakkuk felt like he was. In Habakkuk 1:2-3 we read, "How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds." (NIV)

I think the proof your faith is real is despite feeling abandoned, you still cry out to God. Why would I cry out to someone in whom I didn't have faith? If I'd lost my faith, wouldn't I start looking elsewhere for answers at the moment I truly felt abandoned? If I simply went back to the same god out of convenience, despite feeling neglected and alone, wouldn't that pretty much make me hopeless?

So, God shows me my faith is real by allowing bad things to enter my life. Sometimes, in the midst of those times, I feel abandoned. My response at that moment determines if my faith is real.

If my faith is proven true, then what? In Jeremiah 32:42 we read: "This is what the Lord says: Just as I have brought all these calamities on them, so I will do all the good I have promised them." (New Living Translation) God allowed calamities to enter our lives, but when we rise above them, showing our faith is true, we have his promises of good to look forward to as well.

Unfortunately, sometimes that good isn't realized in this world, but that is another blog post. I want to leave you with one final thought from Randy Alcorn's book. On page 38, having just described several situations where Christ followers had endured difficult situations, including death of loved ones, Randy says: "We need only read Scripture, look around us, or live long enough in order to learn that trusting God doesn't ward off all evil and suffering. He never said it would." (emphasis copied)

We will face trouble in this world. How we handle those times determines whether we are in too deep.

Tough Words to Hear

Yesterday morning as I sat in church and listened to the final installment in the "If God is Good..." series, I was reminded of the old song, "He Never Promised Us a Rose Garden."

"God is far more interested in my character than He is interested in my comfort," Mike Breaux told us. He quoted James 1:2-4, which in the New Living Translation reads: "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

How's that for encouragement from the brother of Jesus and my pastor? You want your faith to be stronger? Well, then you need to be tested!

Looking back over the past few years, I'm guessing my lovely bride and I have some pretty beefy faith "muscles." We've endured much in these past few years. While I don't know why, like I recently said in my "Mountain of God" post, I certainly hope the glories of the mountain far outweigh the pain and suffering we currently endure!

Mike further said, "Suffering cultivates humility and draws us into closer relationship with God." Look at Ephesians 3:16-19: "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (NLT)

Isn't that just like the Christian experience? We want to be close to God, so He allows suffering and turmoil to come into our lives. We want to have a stronger understanding of love, so God introduces us to the move unlovable, difficult people known to man. We pray for patience and God sends trials and tribulations. Everything is opposite in God's economy. However, in case you think you can outsmart God and pray for poverty so He will send you wealth, we were reminded yesterday about God's economy as well.

The story goes a man was talking to God one day and said, "God, is it true that to you a minute is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a minute?"

"Yes," God responded.

"And so I would imagine," the man continued, "a penny is like a million dollars and a million dollars is like a penny."

"Yes," God replied.

"Well," then asked the man, "God, can I have one of your pennies?"

"In a minute," God said.

Hebrews 13:5 tells us: "Don’t love money. Be happy with what you have because God has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you." (God's Word Translation)

We cannot understand in this life the whys to many of the issues we face. Mike showed us yesterday that suffering prepares us for eternity and the suffering and hardships of this world are but temporary nuisances. II Corinthians 4:17-18 reads: "For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." (NLT)

Do I enjoy hearing suffering is part of this world, and through suffering we are given the opportunity to draw closer to God? Do I enjoy knowing that each day I may have to endure more, not knowing the end game, other than heaven awaits? Do I find comfort knowing I am not alone in my suffering, it is common to all mankind?

Of course not! I need to believe that C.S. Lewis truly understood when he said, "That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, 'No future bliss can make up for it,' not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory."

Take heart, my friends; as bad as your suffering now seems, Heaven awaits! Whatever things we endure on this earth, we have God's promise that He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5b, above) and in the end, we will live with Him eternally.

Is that enough hope while I'm stuck in the middle of turmoil? I don't know. All I can do is continue to move forward, one day at a time, and hold on to Jesus.

"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Simple words, and yet so powerful! Even in the depths of your darkest despair, hold on to Jesus, hold on to His truth, hold on to His love!

The Mountain of God

My wife asked me the other night what book of the Bible I am reading now, and I told her I had just started the book of Judges.

"Oh, what a tough book," she replied.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because it is the same thing over and over again. The people turn away from God, they are oppressed, a new judge is raised up, they overcome their enemies, and then live in peace for a while," was her response.

"Well, you missed a step," I said. "Someone has to cry out to God and repent before He raises up a deliver."

It is a very simplistic overview of the book, but basically that is what happens. It kind of reminds me of the song "Mountain of God" by Third Day.

I thought that I was all alone, broken and afraid, but you were there with me, you were there with me. And I didn't even know I had lost my way, but you were there with me, yes, you were there with me. Tell you opened up my eyes I never knew, that I couldn't ever make it without you.

Chorus:
Even though the journey's long, and I know the road is hard. Well the one who's gone before me, He will help me carry on. And after all that I've been through, now I realize the truth that I must go through the valley to stand upon the Mountain of God.

As I travel on the road, you have led me down, you are here with me, yes, you are here with me. And I have need for nothing more, oh, now that I have found that you are here with me, yes, you are here with me. I confess from time to time I lose my way, but you were always there to bring me back again.

~chorus~

Bridge:
Sometimes I think of where it is I've come from, and the things I've left behind. Well, of all I've had, what I posess, they can't quite compare, with what's in front of me, with what's in front of me.

Even though the journey's long, and I know the road is hard, well, the one who's gone before me, He will help me carry on. And after all that I've been through, now I realize the truth that I must go through the valley, to stand upon the mountain. . . well, I must go through the valley, to stand upon the mountain. . . yes, I must go through the valley, to stand upon the mountain of God.

I thought that I was all alone, broken and afraid, but you are here with me, you are here with me.

Just like the Israelite nation of old, we live in a cycle, and the succession from highs to lows often affects our view of God. Right now, my lovely bride and I are in a valley. We have been living in this valley for a very, very long time. I can only hope that when we finally reach the Mountain of God it will far outshine the pain, agony, and turmoil we are currently enduring. Right now, where we are standing, I don't see how anything can supplant this misery; but I have to hold on to the truth "God is faithful."

Why are we in this valley? Why, despite striving each day to live for God, to serve God, and to honor God do we face financial, emotional, and spiritual conflict? I don't know. Yet for some reason God needs us to endure this time, for a season, so we can be ready for the next great thing to which He has called us.

Whether you are in a valley or have finally reached the Mountain of God, remember, God is there with you, He is there with you!

For What Are You Training?

If you read my blog from yesterday, you know I have once again started running, training for an upcoming 5k here in Lexington, Kentucky. For 26 years, people have been lining up in downtown Lexington to be part of this run, which generally starts in the late evening, hopefully making it slightly cooler during race time.

My lovely bride participated in the run a few years ago, but I have not done any running in our nearly 9 years in Lexington. As I mentioned yesterday, my impetus for taking up running again was the Lexington Leadership Foundation's (www.lexlf.org) Team LLF (www.teamllf.com), which recently completed their first race on July 3, 2010.

As I was out training again this morning, my mind wandered to the goal of Team LLF; to mobilize the body of Christ in an effort to increase our level of faith and fitness. This got my mind thinking about the times the Apostle Paul used sports metaphors when referencing the spiritual journey.

I Corinthians 9:24-27 (God's Word Translation) Don’t you realize that everyone who runs in a race runs to win, but only one runner gets the prize? Run like them, so that you can win. Everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict training. They do it to win a temporary crown, but we do it to win one that will be permanent. So I run—but not without a clear goal ahead of me. So I box—but not as if I were just shadow boxing. Rather, I toughen my body with punches and make it my slave so that I will not be disqualified after I have spread the Good News to others.

It is only when we are disciplined that we will find success. If I want to complete the 5k this August, or had I been part of the recent 10k on July 3rd, I would need to be in training. To achieve success, I need to train. While training, I need to have goals.

Paul also talked about setting goals and how they relate to the Christian experience.

Philippians 3:10-14 (New Century Version) I want to know Christ and the power that raised him from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death. Then I have hope that I myself will be raised from the dead. I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.

If I want to know Christ and the power that raised him from the dead, I need to daily set my goals and then strain to achieve those goals. Just as I now have a goal of being ready for the 5k on August 14, 2010, I need to also have a spiritual goal. Will daily Bible reading and prayer help me better understand Christ and the power that raised him from the dead? It will help, but there should be more. Not only should I read and pray, I must then enact what I have learned in my daily life.

Just like simply getting up and running each morning is a good form of exercise, if I don't ever enter a race, I simply have a healthy body. How many Christians are walking around today with a terrific understanding of the Bible, having read it each day, but have yet to put it into practice? They are like athletes who only train and never compete. I believe that when you understand that training is good, but it is only when you have set a goal and then put everything into achieving that goal, putting all of your training into practice, that you achieve personal satisfaction. Sometimes, you also receive a prize!

How are you doing? Are you training with no intent of ever getting into competition? Are you reading your Bible, praying, and simply staying on the sidelines? What is keeping you from stepping into action? God loves spending time with us, but that time should compel us to become more Christ-like, and that means that we have to get dirty. Jesus touched the leapers, he lived with the poor and needy, and he ate with tax collectors. In doing so, Jesus changed the world.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us today, we simply have to train and then put ourselves in the place God sends us. The power is His to give or deny. It is up to us to be sure to be ready when the time comes.

In Training

My friends at the Lexington Leadership Foundation (www.lexlf.org) started a new running group a few months ago in preparation for a 10K run recently held in Lexington. While both my wife and I are former runners (we have both taken time off, me much more time off than my lovely bride), we chose not to become part of the group when it formed in April.

However, due to our friendship with the President/CEO of the LLF, we were invited to the spaghetti dinner held for the team the night prior to the July 3rd 10K run. It was a pleasure to be there to support the 30+ men, women, and children who would either participate in the 10K or in the 1 Mile Fun Run the following morning. Most enjoyable, however, was the Christian fellowship over a free meal (free to me at least, someone paid for the food) and the pep talks by both a Lexington City Council Member who has become the voice of fitness here in our community and the coach of the UK Women's Basketball team; both Christians.

The evening was so motivating, I told Kelly I felt we could be ready for the next event in which Team LLF would participate, the Mid-summer Night's Run, a 5K event in mid August. Kelly asked me the next day if I was serious about running in the Mid-summer Night's Run, and asked again a few days later, probably because I had yet to start training, and each time I said, yes. So this past Saturday and again this morning, my lovely bride was out training.

I followed suit this morning, and for the first time in over 20 years, I was running. Well, I ran, walked, ran, walked, ran, and walked (in that order) a mile this morning in just under 14 minutes. Now before you get too excited for me, my pace this morning was approximately that of a forced march in the Army, and they are carrying their full packs during their march. Also, when I used to run (now running isn't something I've done significantly since injuring a knee my junior year in school), "back in the day," my slowest times were 8 minute miles. While I'm happy I didn't die this morning, 14 minutes is significantly off my former pace. Of course, I've also added an entire person to my body, now weighing almost 90 pounds more than I did while running competitively ...

So after running this morning, I returned home, picked up my Bible and began my daily devotions. In early May I was challenged by my pastor to make Bible reading and prayer a priority each day, no matter what. Following the example of that pastor, I committed not to eat each day until after I had spent time with God.

Like running, time with God had become something I found easy to ignore, neglect, or simply not do. And like my body had gained extra weight due to the lack of exercise, decreasing my health; not spending time with God had also put me in a place where I was increasing my potential for worsening spiritual health.

Fortunately, making the commitment to be with God daily before food, something I've only missed twice in nearly 2-1/2 months, was an easy routine to develop. It is my hope that the care I've begun to take in my spiritual life (which has also brought forth more blogging), will show me that having put my mind to something, especially when it is God honoring, I can do it!

I look forward to seeing how running will improve my health and my life, just like my daily routine with God has shown positive changes in these past few months.

Where are you "sitting on the fence" in regards to a life change you've contemplated, but not yet implemented? What motivation will be required for you to take the plunge? Who in your life will you choose to hold you accountable? I urge you, follow God's prompting, you will not regret your decision!