Ok, God...What Have You Done for Me Lately?

The strangest emotional roller coaster ride in Texas this fall has been the success of the Texas Rangers. This is a team that had only won one playoff game in it's 50+ year franchise history. But this year, despite a number of injuries, some mediocre teams in their division, and being at least 20 games back in the race for the best record in the American League, they easily made the playoffs, but weren't expected to do much. Then, they beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series and the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series to make the World Series for the first time in history.

All of the dormant Ranger fans who had given up on the team after years of watching average baseball suddenly awakened from their slumbers and the Rangers bandwagon was full of enthusiastic supporters. Some even waited until it looked like a win over the Yankees was highly probable to show their excitement, but eventually, everyone came around.

Then the World Series came. The Rangers lost Game 1. Then they lost Game 2. And immediately, we began to hear moans and groans like "What are we going to do about the Rangers?" as if to say their losses in the World Series were typical of their regular season losing streaks in years gone by. Now, many fans are carrying the weight of disappointment, despite the fact that they had a phenomenal season and the future looks bright for a really great ball club with a solid core of great players.

As I thought about the prime example of human nature displayed by our support of a baseball team, I was reminded of how we often treat God. When everything is going well and life is full of blessings, we can hold our head high and worship and serve our Creator wholeheartedly. However, it's in the times when things aren't going right-when the bills exceed the income, when the loved one passes away, when the company is downsizing-that it's hard to remember what God HAS done for us.

As we have passed through Halloween and rounded the corner headed into Thanksgiving, let us be thankful for the things God has done. Psalm 100:4 says we should enter his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts. No matter how bad things get, we have much for which to be thankful because God has blessed us tremendously-if with nothing else, he has given us the means for eternal life through the gift of his son.

So whether your problems are great or maybe you're just mourning your favorite team's latest defeat, remember that God has blessed you and there are a lot of things for which to be thankful. What are you thankful for? What times in your life was it hard to be thankful?

What My Dog Taught Me About God

I have a great dog. His name is Tucker. He's 5 years old and he's 1/2 Lab and 1/2 German Shepherd. Which means he's 85 lbs. of mixed blood fun and loyalty. Tucker loves riding in the truck and following me just about everywhere in the house or otherwise (and yes, I mean everywhere!). He is a very obedient dog and never causes problems. The only time he likes to be hard-headed and strong-willed is when it's time for me to leave the house. We live in the country. It's really hot right now and it's just better for him and us if he stays in the house. However, he's not going to miss the opportunity to ride in the truck, if one comes available.

So as I'm getting ready to leave the house, even if I tell him he's not going to ride (which he does understand), he still tries to dart through my legs and force the door open. Most of the time this ends with me getting in the car and him spending the day in the shade of the porch where it's only about 95 degrees as opposed to 100 in the scorching heat. But what I've noticed is when I'm leaving, if I can make him look me in the eyes and acknowledge me, he will stay when I tell him to "stay". You see, it was never about understanding what I wanted him to do. It was me forcing to acknowledge what I wanted him to do. And so this morning, instead of trying to cover the gap in the door with my legs, I got him to look at me with his big brown eyes and told him to "stay". And you know what? He did it! And then the clouds parted, light shown down from heaven, angel choirs were singing, and I could almost hear God say to me, "Now you know how I feel!"

Whether it is sin in which we continue to engage, or good things that we need to be doing but aren't, obedience to God starts with acknowledging who he is to us. Most of the time when I find myself not doing the things that God wants me to do, I find it's not that I don't know what he wants from me. It's that I choose to acknowledge his presence and place of authority in my life. When Tucker tries to dart out the door, it's not because he doesn't know what I want, it's because he hasn't been made to acknowledge who I am and what I want from him.

God has been known to get the attention of his people. From Moses and the burning bush, the calling of Samuel, Jonah's attempt to run from God, and even Paul on the road to Damascus, God has a way of forcing us to look up at him and say "You're God and I'm not." But one thing I've learned over the years is that life is much simpler when we acknowledge God before he has to get our attention in dramatic fashion. It's my hope and prayer that we will all see Him for who He is and not try to run out the door without giving him the respect he deserves.

Smoking, Church, and Habits

A new series of anti-smoking TV commercials are quite poignant. One depicts a lady mixing a drink at work before her smoke break and says "You don't drink every time you smoke, so why do you smoke every time you drink?" Another one uses the same concept with a guy running around with a cigarette looking for a car to drive. He eventually jacks a courier truck and takes it for a spin while the narrator proposes "You don't drive every time you smoke..."

Bad habits, we know, are hard to break. While good habits are hard to start. And they're even harder if we don't see fast results. I've been going to church for just about my entire life. I can't say that there's been a time when I wasn't a part of some congregation. There were times during college where I might have stayed at school for a few weekends and wound up not going, but for the most part, every season of my life has included some regular house of worship. Before you accuse me of bragging, let me very clear. There have been plenty of times in my life where I did not feel close to God--I was just still in church during those times-sometimes because I was literally getting paid to be there. I can recall the Sundays after tragedy struck my life where I was particularly unenthusiastic about going to church. For some of these times, I was on staff, so my paycheck required I attend. For others, I just plain didn't want to go, but somehow made myself go. Sometimes I just didn't go at all.

At the end of last week, I found out that my sister-in-law had passed away in Indiana from ovarian cancer and the funeral would be on Monday. Cindy (my wife) and I decided Friday night to drive up there with her mother for the funeral. Since my wife gets car-sick if she doesn't drive and my mother-in-law insisted on taking her car, I spent the last 3 days riding in the back seat of a Dodge Neon catching up on my reading. One book I read was "My Jesus Year" by Benyamin Cohen. The book is a memoir of the Orthodox Jewish author's 52-week journey into all things Christian-various churches, concerts, Christian festivals, and even celebrating Christmas-in an effort, not to convert to Christianity, but to learn more about his faith in God and Judaism.

One of his final experiences in this year-long experiment is going to confession at a Catholic church. He tells of going into the booth "undercover", and shares with the priest how he feels disconnected from his faith and how he hasn't been getting much out of the services. The father encourages him to attend services more regularly saying, "Even if you don't understand it now, just come to the services anyway, because eventually it will have meaning for you." Then the author comments how he was reiterating a Jewish concept known as Shelo lishmah bah lishmah-even if you do something for the wrong reasons, you'll eventually start doing it for the right reasons.

I think that is true of a lot of things in life, especially going to church. I don't know where I'd be if certain times in my life weren't accompanied by a staff job at a church that required my church attendance. And that habit has sustained me at times when I didn't realize it. Making ourselves go to church sometimes is hard, especially when we have to ask ourselves why we do it. But even if we don't know why we come, there is value to coming...and sometimes it just takes time to see that.

Just Doesn't Feel Like Christmas

Last year, my family and I had a very memorable Christmas. The weekend after Thanksgiving I was out hanging lights on the outside of the house (a first for me), and we put up our 7ft tall tree right in the living room. We did probably more than we should have in terms of Christmas shopping. And the wonderful day was met with great anticipation. This year things are just...well...different. It's nearly ten days before Christmas and I'm just now getting around to putting up a miniature version of last year's tree. There are no lights on the house, and we've barely done any Christmas shopping. Maybe we're just tired. Maybe because the recently-acquired recliner cuts into the amount of available space for a tree. Maybe it's because we now have a cat who we know will make a destructive hay day out of a full-sized tree. Maybe it's because we've felt the disappointment and loss of two miscarriages this year. Maybe... well...

This year, it just doesn't feel quite like Christmas--for me anyway. And maybe I'm not the only one who feels this way. But with Christmas comes the message of hope. It's the message that when Christ comes into the world, things are never the same. So for me, the message of Christmas is not something that happens once a year. It must be a daily reality. Sometimes life causes us to lose track of what's really going on in life. We all experience hardships, loss, and heartache. I hope that we can all remember, though that as Peter walked out on the water, it was his circumstances that caused him to sink and the hand of Jesus that kept him above the water.

No matter what you've experienced this year, and how you choose to reflect on it, that we can all remember that there is something greater than this world that is watching us. God bless.

Lessons from the Tractor: Cattle Egrets

This year, as has become an annual tradition, I've helped my dad bale hay. I run the tractor some to do the cutting and when it's time to bale, I either run the rake or the baler. When you're in a 50 acre field going back and forth, there's a lot to think about--whether the hay is packing into the baler right, wondering if the baler will have another error, avoiding holes, staying right on top of the row of hay you are baling...you get the idea. One thing that tends to happen when you bale hay is that cattle egrets will come eat the grasshoppers and other small bugs out of the recently cut hay field. As the machines pick up the cut grass, they will camp out at the all you can eat buffet. But this year I noticed something different. While the tractor and implements would easily kill one of these birds, they don't seem to be bothered by them. They get just close enough to the tractor to not get hurt. After all, right by the tractor is where the best eating is found. As I pondered this strange phenomenon, my thoughts began to turn to God.

Isn't this how we all are with sin? We like to get just close enough to sin to where it won't hurt us or the ones we love? Just like those birds landed right by the tractor and quickly hopped away as it got too close, we like to get close to the things that will damage and harm us and our families because they are tempting. And when that big ol' tractor comes, we just hop out of the way. I like what James has to say about this idea in chapter 1.

"13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."

If God has given us all we need, why do we feel the need to get so close to the things that will harm us?

A Nugget from the Diamond: Stealing First

As many sports fans do, I go through phases of loving various sports. While football is always my constant, right now, I find myself addicted to baseball--particularly the Texas Rangers who are having one of their best seasons in a long time.

One of the lesser-known rules of baseball is that if a batter swings and misses at a 3rd strike and the ball gets past the catcher, the batter has the opportunity to to run to first. If he runs, the play becomes a force out at first in which the catcher (or other member of the fielding team) can throw the ball to first base just as if it was a ground ball to the infield. Rarely, do the batters reach first base safely, but it does happen. If it happens, the pitcher is credited with a strike out, but no out is applied to the batter in the game.

As I thought about this peculiar baseball rule, I thought about our relationship to God. Romans says that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. In essence, we've all struck out. Romans also says that while the wages of this sin is death, God's gift to us is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Essentially, despite our striking out, God has allowed us to safely reach base anyway. I think that's pretty cool!

Parable of the Lost Knife

This is my pocket knife. It is a Moore Maker double-locking blade made in Matador, TX (a pretty expensive knife). This knife is special for several reasons. For one, it uses a chrome vanadium blade, similar to those made by Case, Schrade (Uncle Henry, Old Timer) as opposed to the stainless steel blades that have become really popular which do not rust, but in my opinion do not sharpen up as well or hold their edge. It's also made in Texas at a very small factory, so these knives are more rare than some other brands. Another thing about this knife is that most locking blade knives only have one blade. This knife, obviously inspired by a similar non-locking Case knife, has two blades that lock into place. If you've ever had a knife fold up on your hand while you were using it, you can appreciate this feature. Finally, this knife was a Christmas present from my dad. We have a fine tradition of yellow-handled pocket knives. Maybe it's because they are easier to find or we just like the color. Either way, it's just our thing.

Well, last week, Dad and I were building some shelves in his barn and I put the knife in my pocket as I normally do. After a few days of not seeing the knife and dismissing that I had merely left it somewhere else (the car, the truck, the table by the chair, etc.), I realized that my knife was nowhere to be found. So, I checked my dresser, my night stand, all the usual places. I checked the car, the truck, the consoles and glove compartments. The next day, I checked my dad's truck, my parent's house. Then, I checked my office and all over the youth building. It was nowhere to be found. Finally, after a week of searching, on Sunday afternoon I realized that I had not checked the couch cushions or any of the furniture. After checking both couches, I tipped over our recliner and there it was! For two days, I've been swooning over finding this very special possession.

Then yesterday, it occured to me that Jesus told several stories about lost items in Luke 15...a sheep, a coin, and a son. As a shepherd, he leaves all the other sheep to come find one that is lost. Like the woman with the lost coin, she does nothing else until she finds the coin. And like the loving Father, he stands there watching the horizon waiting for his lost son to come home. To think that God went after me the way I searched (and even more so) for my knife is humbling and overwhelming. It seems that when we remember the great lengths God went to in order to be in a relationship with us, it really puts things in perspective.

The Smile of God

I've always been hesitant to quote cliches...especially those that aren't found in Scripture. One of these catch phrases is "The Lord works in mysterious ways." I guess this kind of coincides with the opening passage in the book of James, "2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." What? Consider it joy when we face trials? Are you sadistic or something? How in the world are we supposed to be happy about trials?

Last week we had one such "trial". At a regularly-scheduled doctor's appointment, Cindy and I found out that we had lost our baby some time during the last few weeks since our previous visit to the doctor. After having heard the heartbeat and seeing the ultra-sound and putting the ultra-sound picture up on the refrigerator, now all our hopes and dreams just came crashing down. This was our second miscarriage in the last 18 months, so we just had a lot of questions.

Well, the Lord is all about timing. You see, we had been planning to take a vacation on Friday, but found out on Tuesday that we had lost the baby and that Cindy would have to have a procedure on Wednesday to extract the baby and the tissue. "What in the world was God doing?", I thought. So we weren't even sure at this point if we'd get to go on our much-needed vacation. Well, long story short, we did get to go and had a wonderful time. It was as if God had his hand on us the whole time we were gone. Let me show you what I mean.

Because of our changing plans, we did not book a hotel room until the day we left. The picture above is our room in the Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas. Friday morning, we booked the Adolphus (a historic hotel where each of the last 15 presidents has stayed and goes for $350-$500 a night) for three nights at $65 a night. Using some vouchers I had gotten for taking our youth group to a Ranger game, we paid $6 for a child's ticket and parked for $5 because it was a Friday game. That's an $11 Ranger game not counting food. We also took in a day at the Dallas World Aquarium, Ft. Worth Zoo, Ice Age 3 at the historic Inwood Theater and a day at Splash Kingdom water park in Canton, TX. Thanks to some gift cards we had, we also ate at Texas Roadhouse for $13.

Our much-needed vacation was like a big hug from God saying to us, "It's going to be all right." It takes faith to see that God is doing things. I didn't realize what was going on until we pulled up to the hotel and realized what a swanky joint it was. But God is good and he gave us a precious gift by allowing us to enjoy the blessings we DO have. So, yes, the Lord does work in mysterious ways!

A Bible Lesson from NASCAR

I've been following NASCAR on and off for the last 8 or 9 years. I get really into it when team sports are lacking, then I really lose interest when football season returns. However, one driver I've always watched and admired is Jeff Gordon. Although disliked by many fans because he is from California and not North Carolina, Tennessee, or Georgia and his last name is not Earnhardt, Petty, or Waltrip, he has consistently been one of the best drivers on the tour for a number of years. Another reason I've admired him is that he has been open about his faith in Jesus Christ and has used his celebrity status to share his testimony with others.

An interesting thing to note, though, about Jeff Gordon is that he finished 2nd in the points standings last season and is first in this season's point standings despite not having a win since the 2007 season. That means that while he has not been the best driver in any one race in over 18 months, he has consistently been ONE OF THE BEST drivers throught that time.

In Hebrews 12, the writer comes off of a list of people in chapter 11 who displayed great faith in God. He says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Perseverence isn't about being the best on one day. It is about consistently being very good. The whole idea of Methodism is that we are to be methodical in our approach to our faith. Anybody can have a mountain-top experience and be a one-day champion for a short period of time, but the Christian life is about consistency. Let's pray that we have that consistency to run the race so as to with the prize, every day of our lives.

And People Say There is No God!

"Miracle on the Hudson" is what the headlines and news stories read. What amuses me, is today's definition of miracle. In our pseudo-Christian society where God, if he exists, is more of a relative hodge-podge of various cultural deities thrown into a postmodern philosophical blender, people are acknowledging that a miracle has occurred! I just think it's fascinating that even though the pilot was one of the most qualified individuals probably in the world for the task at hand AND did everything he was trained to do AND all the by-passing boat captains did what they knew to do to help out (whether they were trained or not) AND the crew of the aircraft knew exactly what to do to get everyone safely off the plane AND the plane was equipped with the proper safety features for such a time as this--that people still are calling this a miracle. Why? BECAUSE IT WAS A MIRACLE! You can write all this off as coincidence, but we all know that no one lands a jumbo jet in a river without losing a single person unless someone is watching over you.

Isaiah 26:8 says this..." Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, [a] we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." We were put on this earth to testify to the wonder of God. What better time than when the world is witnessing what even non-believers are calling "a miracle"?