Slippin' One Through

James 4:7
So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.

It's the little things that get overlooked.

I was recently an "almost" victim of credit card fraud (actually, debit card, which I believe is worse). My wife and I had just returned home from a weekend getaway. There was a message on the answering machine for me from my bank. The message stated that I needed to call back as soon as possible regarding possible illegal use of my debit card. I called the toll-free number and reached a customer service representative (on a Sunday night, no less).

After identifying myself to the representative, she informed me that the Security Team at the bank had flagged a transaction 2 days prior as an attempt at card theft. When I asked how she could be sure, she explained that a transaction had come through for $1.00 for a purchase from an online music service. I told her that I frequently use that particular service, and each song happens to be 99 cents. I wondered if maybe they mistakenly flagged one of my own legitimate purchases by mistake.

She explained further that the person who attempted to use my card number was asked to enter their zip code at the time of purchase. The zip code entered did not match the zip code on my bank account. She said that this has started happening so frequently that it automatically gets flagged as a theft attempt.

I told her I appreciated the fact that they had intercepted and declined the transaction and subsequently froze the account, but I couldn't understand why someone would only try to steal $1.00. She said that the $1.00 transaction was only to "ping" the account. The thieves run a very small, innocent looking purchase through and if the transaction is completed, if they manage to "slip one through" they then know that the card is active and available for further use. She said "And then that's when they really wipe you out". She said that people rarely notice or investigate a $1.00 discrepancy on their account, so by the time they realize they've been robbed it's too late.

How interesting.......

So what in the world does that have to do with a life with Jesus Christ? Or with discipleship? Or with right-living?

Think about it.....how many times do we let a "little sin" or a random negative thought pass through our lives? How often do we treat someone unfairly or think something really vile about someone, only to brush it off as less than significant?

I believe that Satan understands this concept perfectly. He doesn't use what power he has to try to make us all murderers. He doesn't put opportunities for adultery in front of us every day. We're often faced with temptations that are easily justifiable. He just doesn't go "all in" right from the start. No, his method is much more cunning. And unfortunately, much more effective on me.

You see, Satan will start out with one tiny little seemingly unimportant seed. But once we've become tolerant or worse, even comfortable with that one tiny little bad thing that's in our life, I think our hearts harden just a tiny bit. Our senses get a little dull. Then a little more.....bit by bit. It's like I've heard people describe football....it's a game of inches. Satan knows that he can't win my heart in one swift, massive blow. But he does know that if he can slip enough little blows through "under the radar" so to speak, he might just lull me into complacency and get me all wrapped up in sin before I realize what has happened. And many of us know how hard it is to recover from that.

So what should I do? What should we all do? As always, God has given us the answer. This time, I believe it's in Ephesians 6 in The Message:

^10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

^13-18 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Paul knew. The apostle Paul knew that if the Ephesians didn't make a conscious effort every day to protect themselves from the little sucker punches that Satan dishes out, they'd be in trouble. And I think that God is giving us the same message today through this passage from His Word.

So watch yourselves out there. Don't discount the "little evils" that Satan tries to slip through on you. Talk to God about His idea of protecting yourself. And pray for those around you, that they, too find the armor they need to resist sin.

I like to think of it as a neighborhood watch for our souls.

Peace,

Mike

Called

How cool it must be to know that what you're doing is truly your calling.

I'm not just talking about your job. And I'm not talking about your particular service project or group, either. I'm talking about all the things you do that make you who you are. Some call it vocation. I think that your vocation is where what you really love and are passionate about meets and fulfills a need that the world has. I've also heard it called your "perfection". When you begin to wrap yourself around the thing that God made you to do, the feeling is so perfect, you can't imagine it any other way. Sound cool? It probably is. I can't tell you honestly how that feels because I'm not currently in that situation. I'm still imperfect. I'm still watching, waiting, wondering when my perfection will find me. I suppose that's part of the problem. Maybe that's the whole problem.

I consider myself to be pretty cautious when it comes to my employment and the activities on which I choose to spend my time. My hobbies are "safe" for the most part. My life is pretty quiet and uneventful. Not boring, just uneventful. I haven't taken many chances in life, on jobs, or in relationships. So I'm the one that sits and wonders what it must be like to have the courage to shed the norm, close my eyes, and let God take me to my perfection. Life on Earth will not cease to happen if I never find that perfection. But I also think that if I don't find it, it will go undone. Someone else might do something similar, but never the exact same perfection as the one set aside for me. I'm not much on assuming that if I don't do it, someone else will. It's not like taking out the garbage.


The problem I see more often (now that everyone is becoming so interested in God's plan for them) occurs, as usual, when we get in the way of said plan. What I mean is......many among us have these really strong desires to do certain things in our lives or with our lives. And quite often, opportunities present themselves that allow those desires to manifest. I think the trap is that it's so easy for us to say "well, I want to do it, and now I'm able to do it, so it must be God's will for me to do it". I could be wrong, but doesn't Satan make it pretty easy to do the wrong things, just as God can remove obstacles that prevent us from doing right? My struggle with my search for my "perfection" is that I can't tell if what I'm feeling is truly the voice of God moving me in a certain direction or if my own will is convincing me that it's the right thing because I think it's what I want to do. I don't trust my feelings all the time. They've gotten me into trouble often enough that I'm a little skeptical.

I know without asking that my pastors would undoubtedly recommend that I pray on this matter and listen closely for God's answer. That's very sound advice for making any decision. It's also what I'm currently doing. I know that the answer will come. As I've written before, God has been in control of my life since before I realized it. I don't doubt that He has a plan for me. Nor do I doubt that His plan involves some truly amazing things. I'm just really anxious for the day to come when I know that what I'm doing is the one thing that He set aside just for me to do.

I know I'm called. And I know I'm called to do good for the Kingdom of God. Right now, however, it feels somewhat like getting a phone call where the caller says "Mike? Yeah, it's me. I need you to go over there right away. I have a very big project going and there's one part of it that I need you to help with. Thanks, Bye". You think you recognize the voice, but not for sure. You also have no idea where "over there" is. You know what the "big project" is, but you don't know what could possibly require your help. And the caller hangs up before you can get any more information. You just know that someone out there is waiting on you and counting on you. All you can do is hope that they call back or that you somehow fill in those blanks correctly.

Called. We're all called. If you've found your perfection, I hope you realize how big of a blessing God has given you. If you're still not sure....if you're still waiting and watching like me....don't give up hope. There are plenty of things that need to be done for the Kingdom in the meantime that aren't necessarily set aside just for you. I feel that by regularly engaging those things, I might be helping myself to better understand the more "Mike-specific" things that lie ahead.

Peace,

Mike

Thump, Thump

I love blowing up someone's preconceived notions about me.  Not in a malicious way, I just like it when someone says "I thought you were totally different than you really are".

A group of men from our church called the Band of Brothers recently got together for dinner out and a Clint Eastwood flick.  Joining us was a guy who had never done anything with our group in the past.  At the end of the evening, he and I and another member of the group were sitting and kind of recapping the evening.  Our new member made a statement about our group.  He said "this group is totally different than I thought it would be.  I always assumed you were a bunch of guys walking around thumping their Bibles and talking about church". 

Now don't get me wrong.  As I explained to my friend, there is definitely a need for groups like that, too.  Our church has several really good, really intense scripture and accountability-type groups for men.  Our group, however, serves a different purpose.  I told him that if someone from the B.o.B. group saw him doing something he shouldn't be doing, we wouldn't call a meeting and discuss it.  There wouldn't be "share time" on how we feel he should act and how that is supported by scripture.  No, we would walk up to him and probably slap him in the back of the head (sometimes literally) and tell him to stop.  Period.  

My point is not that there is one method of teaching and learning discipleship that is better or more effective than another.  We see throughout the New Testament that Jesus used different forms of teaching depending on who was listening and who the intended audience really was.  I think sometimes we find a certain way to relate to others how we feel about our faith, about Jesus as our Savior and about God and His church that strikes a chord with a particular audience.  We then assume that the same thing will affect everyone we speak to in the same way.  I think that what happens over time is that we start performing our story instead of telling it or acting it out.  Granted, God can work through us regardless of how we feel we appear to others.  But I feel that we need to be conscious of who it is that is listening so that we are open to what tools God would have us use in certain environments.

Sometimes I like to speak quietly in a circle of close friends and relate what I'm feeling calmly to a group of accountability partners.  But more often than not, I feel the Holy Spirit moving me to turn over tables....to get a little sweaty....to really "throw down" with the world.  God did, after all, regularly choose men to do battle, get messy, and swim upstream.

Be open to God's ever-changing missions for us and dare to try something new in the name of the Kingdom.

Peace,

Mike 

Black Flagged

It's sure a good thing we have different rules for life than they have in auto racing.  

One rule in particular that stands out to me is the minimum speed rule.  I'm no racing professional, so forgive me if I don't have the details just perfect on this, but I believe there is a rule in NASCAR that states that if you can't maintain the minimum speed on the track, the officials wave a black flag and you have to remove yourself from the race or face fines and/or penalties.  

Let's say a driver (we'll call him "Rusty") is really doing well.  He's been in the front pack most of the day and has led a lap or two.  Late in the race, there's a "big one" that causes damage to a lot of the cars, including his.  He takes his car to the pit area during the caution period and his crew starts banging out fenders, changing tires, making whatever repairs they can to keep Rusty in the race.  He reenters the race along with all the other drivers, but he notices right away that there is something wrong with fourth gear.  He can only use first, second, and third gear.  He can only run 165 m.p.h. when the other cars are running at nearly 200 m.p.h.  He notices the black flag waving, and his crew chief calls him on the radio and says he has to come into the garage because the officials have determined he can't maintain the minimum speed, so he can't be on the track.  The rule really is there for the safety of the drivers.  Allowing one slow moving object to stand in front of forty-two fast moving objects is just asking for big trouble.  But that's auto racing, not life.

Rusty now has no chance of winning this race, and he'll be hard pressed to even finish once they start disassembling his car.  Points are lost, tempers flare, reputations are on the line, sponsors are wringing their hands in anxious anticipation.  Oh, and by the way, no one can even tell who was at fault for the wreck that started it all.  

Imagine the same rule being applied to your life.  You get a good job.  You meet the right man or woman, get married, start a family, and make the right choices.  You're running with the lead pack for a long time.  But then let's say there's a crisis in your family.  A family member dies.  Everything is in chaos for a time, then nothing seems right after that.  Life is a chore to deal with during that time, so you flounder a little bit.  Maybe you even stray from what you know is right because you don't know how to manage your feelings.  You drift far from God.  You become damaging to those around you and to yourself.  And then you're told that you're chance has come and gone.  Since you can't keep up, you're not allowed to be a Christian any more.  You're not eligible for salvation any more.  Even though you aren't to blame for the events leading up to now, you're still the one who will pay the price.

My God is a God of second chances.  My God will let you keep running.  He wants you to keep running.  He doesn't care about minimum speeds because He knows we all run at a different pace.  He's the chief that says in your ear "don't worry about finishing first today....just know that no matter what, I'm here to help you finish - period."   He's a God who somehow gives you fuel to last longer than you should be able to - even in the worst conditions.  He's a God who just wants you in the race because He is the One standing at the finish line.  His son, Jesus Christ is the prize.  We win by finishing, not by finishing first.  All he wants from us is for us to stay in the race.  He knows we'll need to keep working on the vehicle.  He knows sometimes we'll be right up front, charging forward, leading the way.  But he also knows we'll get a lap down sometimes.  He doesn't care.  He just wants us in the race.

As for the life He offers......the black flags, the penalties, have all been paid.  He put His only son here to take the penalties for our sins so that we can focus on staying in the race.  

What does that mean?  Put your helmet on.  Put your gloves on.  Put your fire protective suit on.  It's all the armor of God.  Drop the visor and hang on.  We're built to finish.  We just need to refocus.

Let's go racin' boys.

Peace, 

Mike

Leaning Over the Wheel

Thursday was one of the foggiest days I can remember.  Ever.  I was making deliveries in our "big truck" Thursday morning and I just couldn't believe how hard it was to see.  Driving a large, heavy vehicle in conditions like that made me a little nervous.  At one point, I caught myself leaning all the way forward, up over the steering wheel, squinting to see oncoming traffic, signals, and road signs.  It occurred to me that there have been times in my life that felt like that, too.

I think that when our focus shifts from Godly things and our attention is pulled toward living instead of life itself, we find ourselves in a fog like that.  Sometimes, when it's just a small distraction, you can just look around a little bit harder and still find your way fairly easily.  But sometimes, even when we really want our lives centered around God we get really distracted and we find ourselves in a situation like the fog on Thursday.  As I leaned over the wheel, I found myself reacting to things immediately.  A stop sign would suddenly appear and I would jump on the brakes.  Or I'd see oncoming headlights and I'd hit the brakes and move a little farther toward the edge of the road.  When I think about living life like that, I feel a little sick.  I remember times when I was far from God and I could look no farther than what was happening right now in my life.  All I could do is react to things as they came up, and sometimes that's a little overwhelming.

An added variable that I experienced that day was the result of temperatures hovering around freezing.  As the fog fell on the roads, it formed an invisible layer of ice.  This was not even "black ice" as we experience here so often.  There was no sheen, no reflection...it was totally hidden....like a trap.  But I drove.  I drove excruciatingly slow.  I leaned over the wheel and freaked every time I saw movement ahead of me.  I turned the radio down.  I stopped sipping my coffee.  All I could do is lean forward and take it, whatever "it" was.

That's a terrible way to live.  Not the driving part, I really enjoy that part of my job.  But to live a life that consists of nothing more than squinting to see what your next problem is going to be just isn't spiritually healthy.  Nor is it what God intended for us.

Later that day I looked outside and saw the rain falling.  February rain in Indiana is no real shocker.  In fact, we have a lot of those days and normally they make me feel a little down and maybe a little sleepy.  But as I watched the rain that particular day, it occurred to me that the rain had cleared the fog, and had also washed the thin film of ice from the roads.  How ironic....on a cloudy afternoon in February, the rain actually washed away the perils of the morning.  Visibility was fine....all the schools were back in session.  God had showed up for me in a most interesting way.

So if you find yourself leaning forward more often than you'd like, or if you're always squinting to try to see what trouble life is getting ready to give you, or if you just feel like you can't find your way through the fog in your life, remember this:  God gave us Jesus Christ for a reason.  God gave us Jesus so that in our times of confusion or fogginess we can call on Him.  He'll come....He'll clear the way for us.  In fact, He already has.  In our times of fear, sadness, desperation, anger, or dread....we can call on Jesus.  He doesn't promise us a lifetime of sunny days.  But there's healing and clarity....even in the rain that will surely come.  Just don't forget to call on Him when things are really great, too.  He likes to hear "thank you" just as much as we do.  

Living will always have its challenges, so it's in vain that we focus on happy living.  Instead, let's praise the One who created life itself, and find joy in the offering of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Peace,

Mike

Frozen

Frozen. That's what I was. It was a very strange feeling for me because I'm a decision-maker, yet this seems to be happening more often right now.

I don't mean frozen as in cold, I mean frozen as in stuck in one spot. I was unable to move for a few seconds, unable to speak or think. My assistant stood in front of me waiting for me to answer her question "what do you want me to do now". I couldn't answer. There were too many things that all needed to be done first.

Our spiritual lives can become the same way. We can get so overloaded with what we want to do that we lose sight of what we need to do. Our souls get frozen, unable to function, because we're so committed to the mechanics of living that we have no spiritual life.

Jesus invites us to live with Him, to rest in Him, all the time, everywhere we go. He allows us to unclutter our lives so that we can focus on what matters. He's waiting for us to get out of our own way and let our hearts and souls find joy in Him.

It's time for me to thaw out and let my soul rest in Christ for a while. How about you?

Peace,

Mike

My Friend

I'd like to tell you about my friend.

I have this friend.  He's been a friend of mine longer than I can remember.  He was my friend when I was a little boy, and we managed to stay friends through my teen years and into adulthood.  This was a guy who, when he saw me doing something stupid just quietly reminded me that I knew better, that my parents raised me better than that.  Most of the time, I acknowledged his opinion, but went on being an idiot.  For some reason, he still wanted to be my friend.

I went off to college for a short while and did some really stupid things.  I still thought about my friend from time to time, and I knew that he would probably give me some sound advice about my behavior if he were there, but I really kind of kept my distance for awhile.  I knew from the past that he would still be my friend later, and I was having fun.

College ended pretty early for me and I came home and started working full time, moved into my own place, and just kept being an idiot.  By now I was only seeing my friend three or four times a year, and when we did talk, it was kind of uncomfortable because I didn't know what to say anymore.  I didn't really feel like I knew him well enough any more to just "hang out".  But we always assured each other that we wouldn't forget about each other and that we were still friends, even if just barely.

I lived alone for over ten years, and during that time I went through some really shallow, dangerous relationships.  Somehow I managed to stay out of trouble.  Many things could have gone wrong, but nothing did.  No legal trouble, no kids outside of marriage, no dependency, no nothing.  I didn't see much of my friend at all during that time, but I knew that it was because I wasn't making the effort.  I talked to several people during that period of my life who told me that my friend was still around, and that he was concerned for me because of how I was living.  As usual, I respected his concern and his opinion, but I continued doing things my way.

I got married, bought a house, and started a family.  Still there were no big problems, no tragedy, no big hurdles. 

As happens often when people reach this particular stage in life, something clicked and I felt the need to get back to church.  Not for my sake, but for my children, of course.  I was raised in the church...I knew the story and the routine.  So off I went to find a church that was convenient near where we lived.  While "shopping" at Trinity UMC, would you believe I ran into my friend. And for the first time in fifteen years, I felt like it was time I made the effort to get reacquainted with him.  That was roughly 2004.  In May of 2006, my father was diagnosed with cancer and was given just a short time to live.  

This part of the story could sound very tragic.....but I had my friend with me.  For some reason, God chose to reunite me with my friend at just the right time to rebuild a relationship that would truly support me through the only thing in my life that could be called "tragedy".   I had developed an incredible relationship with my father through working together for 8 years.  As his condition worsened, my friend continually showed me how to find God's work in what was happening with my family.  He showed me how my mother loved my father in a 1 Corinthians kind of way....doing first and feeling later.  He showed me how all the people around my family rallied to support us in our time of greatest need.  He showed me God's mercy in ending a life after six months of illness that could have gone on in misery and pain for years.  My friend did that for me.  He gave me the strength to tell my unconscious father that it was o.k. to go....that I would take care of the family, that he didn't need to fight any more.  He gave me the opportunity to watch him take his last breath less than one minute after I said those words to him.  I've never needed more closure than that.  My friend gave me the ultimate gift at the low point of my adult life.  He gave me Peace.

My friend has been giving me gifts since I was a baby.  He did things for me while I wasn't paying attention to him.  He has always been my friend, even when we didn't talk.  I've asked my friend if I could talk about him in my blog and he was very comfortable with that.  I asked him if I could offer his friendship to all the people I come in contact with, and he is very excited about that.  I warned him that many people may take him up on his offer of friendship and support....again he thinks that will be great.  So I offer you the opportunity to have a friend that I've had my whole life.  He'll be there when you need him, and also when you think you don't.

Oh...one more thing....my friends name......

                                                           Jesus Christ. 

He's my Saviour, He's my brother, He's my everything.  He said to tell you that if you need Him....just visit your local church.  If they preach the Word of God, you'll surely find Him.

Peace,

Mike

The New Face of the Old Me

What kind of person were you twenty years ago? Would the people who knew you then agree with that?

Even at forty years old, it's still easy for me to think that I'm the same ol' guy I've always been. Most of the people I associated with twenty years ago are no longer part of my everyday life. In fact, I really hadn't thought much about most of those people until lately.  I recently joined Facebook. I avoided it for a long time. I really never understood the attraction to online social networks. It just always seemed like so much time spent accomplishing so little. But some friends from church joined, and I started getting "friend requests".  

Who knew I had 54 friends?

Anyway.....I was meandering around the site the other night and the little chat window at the bottom popped up and I was presented with a question from a classmate who had apparently read this blog.  He asked: "This may be a dumb question, but were you a Christian in school?".  I sat, silent, unable to believe that someone that knew me was asking that.  My response was that yes, I was, and I had done the whole youth group/Youth for Christ/blah,blah,blah laundry list.  I'm sure I sounded defensive.  But later as I thought more about that, I tried to remember details about how I conducted myself in high school.  I tried to remember how I wanted people then to see me.  I tried to remember what motivated me twenty-some years ago.  As some of those memories returned to me, all I can say is that I am so ashamed......

I told my "re-friend" (I think that's what I'll call all these great people I'm getting reacquainted with) that luckily we've all grown a little since then.  But right now I still feel so inadequate because of the huge failures all those years ago.  Why have I been spared from misery after behaving that way?  I can only thank God for prevenient grace and unending forgiveness.  

I knew the story of Jesus Christ back then.  I was raised in the church.  I liked Sunday School and Youth Group and accepted Christ at Sr. High Institute while in high school.  And I told no one outside my group of friends from church about any of that.  It makes me sick to think of all the people I might have reached then if I hadn't been so afraid to be honest.  For me, I think that's what it boiled down to.  I was more worried about being labeled and cast aside than I was about God's call to me to shine in all the dark places I can.  I lied...not just to myself, but to everyone around me.  I just wanted to fit in.  I just wanted to be liked (that didn't always work, either-I have a wretched sense of humor sometimes).  I just wanted to absorb life as it came to me.

Sound familiar?

I serve a God of second chances.  I have the opportunity to redeem myself every day I open my eyes.  Share this mission with me:  I will shine in all the dark places I can - I will not be ruled by my sinful nature again.  I will fall, but He will lift me up.  I will fight this fight with all that I am.  I have decided that God is real and so is His son, Jesus Christ, and all that the Bible says is true and I won't deny that Truth or fear proclaiming it.  I will tell people I am a Christian and I will act in a manner that supports that fact.

Share this mission with me......hold me accountable.  We can do this, I know it.  We were built for this.

To my "re-friend" that asked me the question that night-I'm sorry I wasn't better back then.  Maybe together we could have reached more people.

And to all of you who know me-this is it.  This is what you get with me.  This is the new face I choose to wear.  The old me is still around, but there's work being done under the hood.

Peace,

Mike

Dare To Be "Normal"

I've always considered myself to be just a normal, average guy. When we started a family, I really wanted to be a better-than-average parent. I wanted to be the kind of parent whose children announce to the world "I have the GREATEST dad in the world". As it turns out, my wife and I are pretty good parents. But I don't foresee any public announcements from our kids any time soon. They see things a little differently right now.

About a week ago the four of us were on our way home from church when a necessary discussion broke out regarding our 9-year-old daughter's bedroom. You see, she's our creative spirit....our actress, singer, dancer, dreamer....you know the type. She's incredible and I love her. But she won't clean her room. She won't clean anything. She empties her book bag once a semester and we have to rent a dump truck to get rid of all the papers and "other stuff" that she has collected in her bag for three months. Anyway, we had to have a discussion about how things were going to start looking in her social life if she was not willing to clean up after herself at home. As sometimes happens, our "discussion" escalated into an argument. My wife and I told her that we were going to have to start taking fun things away from her if she wasn't willing to do her part. As we pulled into the garage, that last thing she screamed at us before she stomped inside and up to her room was "I HATE it when you guys are NORMAL parents. I like it better when you're the OTHER way!" At the time, I had no idea what she meant. Neither did my wife. We laughed, but neither of us really knew why that was funny.

The next day, I asked my daughter again what she had said....I honestly couldn't remember what words she had used. She repeated it...verbatim. It was still fresh in her memory. I asked her what she meant by "normal". She said "you know....the kind of parents that have rules and make you do stuff you're supposed to do even if you don't want to". I asked what the "other way" was. She said "you know....the kind of parents that let you do what you want....the kind of parents that are fun".

So there we are. That's what we all want, isn't it? We all want a Father that looks out for us, protects us, loves us, and lets us do whatever we want, right? We don't need the lessons. We don't need the discipline. We think that discipline is the same as punishment. We think that the rules and the Law are the bad guys.

Have you ever been pulled over by the police? Let's assume that you always wear your seat belt but you took it off to get your wallet out at the drive-thru and forgot to buckle back up. You get stopped. The officer scolds you for not wearing your belt. Your first reaction? Probably a legitimate excuse. You get the ticket anyway. Now you think the law is stupid, right? And that cop....what a jerk, right? That's how we think sometimes (at least I do...Maybe I'm the only one). The rules are fine until we're caught breaking them. Did you think the seat belt law was stupid when you were wearing yours? Was the officer a jerk when he was pulling someone else over for breaking a law?

We have to remember that God's Law is not going to save us any more than man's laws. Only giving our lives to God can save us. The laws are simply a warning.....Look, I've seen this happen when you do that and it can hurt you.....please don't do this, I don't like to see you get hurt. The Law does not make the evil or the sin go away. It merely tells us that someone before us has learned something the hard way and they don't want us to have to learn it that way, too. It tells us that we need to change our behavior to avoid the consequences. And if we break the rules, there will be consequences. The discipline that comes when we break those rules is meant to help, and to heal, and to teach....just like we try to teach our own children.

Jesus Christ learned it all for us....the hard way. He says we should love our God with all our heart, mind, and soul. He says we should love each other. Don't you suppose he tells us these things because He knows what's in store for us if we follow the rules? And don't you suppose that He knows what's in store for us if we don't follow them?

There's the beauty of having a Father like our God. He's normal. He wants to be the kind of Father whose children proclaim to all the world:

"I HAVE THE GREATEST DAD IN THE WORLD!"

Peace,

Mike

The Left-Hand Pinkie is Part of the Body, Too!

I have a finger that's smashed......really smashed. I smashed my little finger on my left hand Friday at work. I really smashed it. I was wrenching on an air compressor, really leaning on it and thinking "this wrench is going to slip and I'm going to rip all the skin off my knuckles". The wrench slipped. But I had gloves on, so no skin left my body. But man.....did I mention that I really smashed it?

For an hour following that, I was obsessed with it. It hurt, and it immediately started to change colors. It's all black under the fingernail now. It's swelled up enough that when I bend it, it feels like it's going to pop. I smashed it hard enough that a little blood squeezed out through the fingertip without actually cutting the skin.

In my mind, this is ridiculous. I mean, c'mon, it's the little finger on my left hand, and I'm right-handed. Let me tell you, that finger is really something I've taken for granted for far too long. I went to tie my shoes today and broke a sweat in the process because it was such an ordeal. Later, when I changed clothes for church I tucked my shirt in and found myself mumbling words that embarrass me (I never realized that my little finger has to lead the way when tucking my shirt in). And last, I pulled my gloves on and decided that was it. I'm going to have a "pinkie" day when this is all healed up and behind me. Yep, a hand massage, manicure, the works. That digit gets due recognition from here on out.

Some days I feel like the little finger on the left hand of life. Some days I feel unappreciated, invisible, insignificant, and overlooked by life. That's because during those times I'm looking to life to validate me. I'm counting on other people to tell me how important I am or how necessary my work is. It's human nature, I think, and man am I human. I have to remember that as a part of the Body of Christ, I'm significant to Him. He validates me, and He alone. The other parts of that Body can't make me whole, only my connection to Christ can do that. Although I serve a function just like all the other parts, the other parts will keep right on going even if I don't. So no big deal, right? But I think the Body as a whole works a tiny bit less efficiently if I'm not connected and working. And it works a tiny bit less efficiently if you're not connected and working, too. Together, as one whole Body, we can accomplish such amazing things. We can do what God has created us to do.

In Matthew 25 we read that the Kingdom is served when we serve he who appears to be the least among us. Just remember, that person that's so easy to dismiss could be the only mission God has for you today. As the lyrics go in Casting Crowns' song If We Are the Body:

But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Don't forget, you were "them" once. Maybe you still are. Maybe none of this makes any sense at all right now. Whatever the case, try connecting somehow to the Body. Find a church that preaches the Bible and the story of Jesus Christ. Through Him, you can be validated.

And you will always be significant.

Peace,

Mike

From the Mouths of Babes (and Six-Year-Olds)

Six-year-olds are absolutely amazing. Children in general are absolutely amazing.

We go through this ritual every Saturday before we leave for worship service at church. As we're getting our coats on, my son (six years old) will almost always ask "Do we have to sit through a service?". You see, my family worships on Saturday nights because of work schedules, but I normally try to get the kids back to church on Sunday morning for Sunday School. I like to go to Sunday School. So do they. But for a six-year-old it makes things confusing. He never knows for sure if we're going for worship service, (which he's required to sit through now that he's in school) or if we're going for Sunday School.

I remember when I was six and I had to sit through a service. Granted, in the Methodist church the service is only an hour long, but that's an eternity when there's a living room full of new stuff from Christmas waiting back home. But it seems my son has found signs to look for in church. He's apparently noticed things about the sanctuary when you walk in that tell you that today's service is different.

At our church, we celebrate communion the first weekend of each month. And when you walk into the sanctuary, you can see all the elements on the altar, wrapped and covered in clean, white linens. My son, who recently received communion for the first time, now recognizes those items. Tonight, shortly after the service began, my wife leaned over to me and said "Cameron asked me when we walked in if we were having community tonight". We both giggled a little, then we refocused on the opening music. I sat there for a while thinking about that, though. He doesn't know what the word community means. It's doubtful that he could use it in a sentence. He's heard us talk about communion before. What an interesting accident that was.

The word communion has its own Webster's entry, and its definition is not limited to the ceremony we practice at church. But I rarely use it for any other reason. Even more rarely do I hear it used by others for another reason. It seems it has lost its identity as anything but the bread and the cup for me. But to substitute community instead of communion really draws my attention. How incredible is it that together, as the body of Christ, we celebrate God's offering to us, His Son. And wherever you go, it's in groups large and small, together, that this celebration is held. My son, without knowing, taught me tonight that the gift of the bread and the cup is given to me as part of a community, not just as an individual.

So let's celebrate community together. Let's see if we can find hope in that same loaf and cup on the altar that tells my son that this is truly something different.

Peace and Blessings,

Mike

Where's your resolve?

It's that time again.  Time to decide what you'll do differently this year.  Time to decide how you'll make things better for yourself, your family, your job, whatever.

The cliche that envelopes New Year's resolutions is hard to get past as I get older.  For the last couple of years I haven't even made any.  I tell myself it's silly.  I know myself well enough to know that I'll only stick with it for a couple of weeks.  Again, I find a reason to not face the things in my life that need work.  The more times I resolve to change something about myself or improve myself or eliminate a bad habit, the more times I subject myself to the possibility of failure.  And as I age, I reason that if I'm not going to succeed, I need not expend myself.  Why waste the effort?  It has become a little disheartening.

I'm sure glad that Jesus Christ felt differently than I do.  I'm sure glad that when He knew what he had to do, He just did it.  He did it all the way.  He did it knowing what it would cost Him.  He did it when everyone in His world told him no.....there's got to be another way.....

Heck, I bail out because there's a possibility of loss, pain, failure, suffering, etc.  Christ knew he would die for us and He came anyway.  He did it so that my shortcomings and failures are not what's important.  He died so that I never need to be afraid of failing again.  He died so that I don't need to make resolutions.  I'm saved by His grace even if....no,  because I'm imperfect.  That's resolution.  That's something to pay attention to.

You see, it's always seemed so right to keep trying to change everything until things fell perfectly into place.  I've got news for you, things won't.  Ever.  Not on earth.  What I'm learning to do is look at my world differently, not try to make my world look different.  I think we waste too much time trying to perfect our situations when our situations are subject to how we live and how we look at ourselves.  We just don't know how to look at ourselves as children of God.  God hasn't created me so that I can try to change Creation.  He created me to appreciate Creation.  He created me to love Him.  He created me so He could love me.

You know what?  He did the same for you.  He created you out of love, for the sake of love.  He created us because together we can accomplish more than we can alone.  He created us to be His body and His children....not so that we could go around trying to improve on what He's already done, but so that we can know that He is the Good Father.  Do you encourage your children to try to change everything you've planned for them?  Or do you want them to just be your children and appreciate that...to just know that you love them, and to just let you be the loving parent?

I will always think of things that I need to do better....respect the body that God has given me, speak more kindly, and shine brighter.  But these are not improvements.  These are things I was created to do but have chosen not to do.  These are things that I should resolve daily to do.  These are things that should become my nature, not a project or a checklist.

So let's do something together this year.  Let's agree to stop trying to find different places to make us feel happy.  Let's stop trying to change the landscape.  Let's start looking at what's already here with new eyes.  Let's let God do the creating and improving in the world and we'll watch for opportunities that He puts before us to show in practical, loving ways how awesome it is to be His child.

Happy New Year to all.  I hope Jesus Christ finds a way into your heart and life so that you may experience all that He has for you.

Peace,

Mike