Best Days of My Life?

In 1984, Brian Adams released the now classic song, "Summer of '69." It's a nostalgic look at an important time in his life, and it resonates with lots of folks. Now that's pretty understandable; when we drive down the dusty roads of our memories, things usually look better than they really were. But there's always been a line in that song that always bothered me a little. At the end of each verse he sings, "those were the best days of my life." And the first time I heard that I thought, "What a sad thing to say." It's heartbreaking to me to think about having to look back at a time that I would consider the 'best days of my life', as opposed to living in the best days of my life. Maybe I'm just incredibly naive, but there's not a time I can look back on and say, "That was the best time in my life." Each season of my life has been the 'best days of my life.'

High school was a blast for me. Not because I was super popular or anything. In fact, I was the opposite of super popular. But I didn't really care because round about the 10th grade or so, I discovered the secret to surviving high school. Want to know what it is? Well I'm not telling. Just kidding. The secret to surviving high school is figuring out that everyone else is just as insecure as you are. They're worried about their clothes, too. They get zits just like you do. They want to be liked and accepted and thought well of as much as anyone else. That goes for everyone there. And when I figured that out, there was freedom in that. I didn't have to spend all my time worrying about what other people thought about me. I just enjoyed myself. I wasn't an athlete (at 5'8", 145 lbs., not a lot you can do-except for maybe women's gymnastics). I wasn't a ladies' man or anything. But high school was a great time for me. Some of the best days of my life.

Then came college, another blast. Made some of the best friends of my life. Met some of the biggest jerks, too. Like Adam Thomas. Man, I hate that guy. College was a great time for me. I learned a ton of stuff, grew up a lot. And best of all, I met Kelly Mitchell. Yowza. Some of the best days of my life.

Then came marriage. Again, fabulous time in my life. Difficult, challenging, all that. But it was amazing. Kelly and I began to learn how to make our marriage work, and that wasn't always fun. But it was incredible. Some of the best days of my life.

Then fatherhood-nothing changes you like fatherhood. When they give you that kid, and you realize that she's your little girl, or your little boy, everything changes. Nothing will ever be the same for you once you've held your child for the first time. And so I entered that season of my life. And it's been incredible. God has given me amazing children, whom I love intensely. There have been rough days, especially with our first child. Not because Lily was a bad baby, but because when you're a first time parent, you get a little freaked out. After a few days at home I started thinking, "OK, when are the parents going to come get their kid?" And then Kelly reminded me that Lily was our kid. Some of the best days of my life.

And then I started pastoring. Another challenging time, but a great time. Got to move to Wakita, Oklahoma, met some amazing people who put up with a young punk who knew absolutely nothing-but they loved me anyway. Then I moved to Hermitage; more great people, more great times. And now I'm in Gurdon. God has again provided amazing folks for me to minister to, and I'm having a great time. Some of the best days of my life.

My point is that there's not one time in my life that I look back on and say, "Those were the best days of my life." And I don't want there to ever be a time that I look back and say that. These are the best days of my life! Right now is the best time of my life. And when this season is over, the next phase of my life will be the best time of my life. Don't dress up a particular time in your life in the unreal decoration of nostalgia. Embrace this season of your life. Embrace this time. Don't waste your life looking at time that's gone by. Take hold of the time God has given you and use it for His honor and His glory. If it's a good season, enjoy it to the fullest. If it's a difficult season, learn from it what you can, and cling to Jesus. But embrace the time you're in, and use it for God's honor and glory.

Lamentations 3:23 says that God's mercies "...are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness." Every day can be the best day of your life because God's mercies are new to us each day. I can find joy regardless of my circumstances if I find my joy in Christ. Circumstances change-Christ never does. Let's live as though these are the best days of our lives; and try to forget about the times we tight-rolled our jeans.

Father, thank You for life. Thank You for the innumerable blessings you've poured out on me. Thank You for the friends You've given me, the circumstances and experiences You've brought me. And thank You for what lies ahead. Help me to keep my eyes on You; and help me to continue to live for Your honor and Your glory. Amen.

Of snooze buttons and other immoral things

There was a time in my life when I was adamantly opposed to snooze buttons. I sprang from bed each morning, alert and awake, ready to face the day. This continued through my college days (although I'll admit that there were many mornings when I rolled out of bed rather than sprang from it). Many of my friends enjoyed the snooze button. They would set their alarm to go off a long while before they actually had to get up, sometimes as much as an hour before. And then every 9 minutes they would hit that stupid button. I never understood it. "What does that extra 9 minutes really do for you?", I would ask. And then I got married. And I discovered, to my horror, that my wife was an advocate of the snooze button. I could never wrap my head around the logic of waking up, hitting the button, sleeping for a few minutes more, then hearing that stupid alarm again only to...wait for it...hit the button again. And then one day, for reasons I can't quite explain, I hit the snooze button; and I became that which I once despised.

Now in my defense, I don't hit the snooze button every morning. In fact, I don't hit a 'snooze' button at all. My phone is my alarm clock, but that's beside the point. Even though I'm now a user of the snooze button, I still don't understand why. What does that 9 minutes of extra sleep really do, other than make it that much harder for me to get out of bed? After several hours of sleep, is several minutes more going to matter? Has anyone ever said, "Boy, I was still so sleep when my alarm went off, but after I snoozed a couple times, I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!"? (on a completely unrelated note, what does it mean to be "bushy-tailed" in the mornings? that sounds to me like something you would want to avoid at all costs. but i digress). The point is, that extra few minutes isn't helping anything. In fact, it's only making me put off what I need to do-get out of bed and get started on my day. I think the only reason we hit that button is that it gives us the illusion of more rest. Those 9 minutes aren't really going to do us any good; but we think we need it. And so we hit that button.

Now that's the reason for this rambling, incoherent post? Good question. Thinking about the logical fallacy that is the snooze button got me thinking about sin. See, sin is a lot like the snooze button. I know that I should avoid it at all costs. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. And even though I'm a follower of Christ, even though my sins have been forgiven and I don't have to face the eternal consequence for them, I'm still faced with the temporal consequences. And I know this. Intellectually, I know and acknowledge the fact that sin is dangerous; that it displeases my King, it injures my testimony, and it is ruinious to my life. But there are still times when I convince myself that I need it. There are times when I think I've got to have whatever it is that the flesh is pining for. And just like I know that hitting the snooze button will offer no benefit, but I do it anyway-I know that sin will benefit me nothing; but I engage in it anyway.

Hebrews 11:25 refers to the 'passing pleasures of sin', i.e., sin is enjoyable-for a season. When we indulge the flesh, it is pleasurable-for a time. Just like when we hit the snooze button, roll over and burrow back under the covers, that's a nice feeling; but it doesn't last. And the fact remains that I've still got to get up. In the very same way, sin is lots of fun-for a little while. But the fact remains that the wages of sin is death; and when I embrace wickedness rather than holiness, I invite the consequences for that sin on my life. One of the most important lessons every Christ-follower must learn is that the passing pleasures of sin aren't worth the consequences for our sin. Our sin, no matter how much the flesh may enjoy it and revel in it, only drags us down. It brings reproach on the name of our Great King. It brings guilt and shame. It is ruinous for our lives. Though it is certainly pleasurable, that pleasure is passing-it won't last. But God offers us joy and fulfillment that lasts forever. Psalm 16:11, "In Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Now which makes more sense, pleasures that pass away and lead to ruin, or fullness of joy and pleasures that last forever?

So, got any spiritual snooze buttons in your life? The pleasure they offer is temporary; don't be deceived by them. Let's pray for one another, that we can get rid of them; that we'll arise from sleep, that we'll wake up to the holy life Christ has called us to-and that we'll embrace the eternal pleasures of Jesus rather than the passing pleasures of sin.

Father, thank You for grace. Thank You for being patient with me, and for not giving me what my sinfulness has earned. Thank You for clothing me in the righteousness of Jesus. Forgive my sins, help me to hate sin as You do. Help me to run from it, and run to You. Help me to cast aside everything that slows me down, and the sin that so easily entangles me, and help me run with perseverance the race You've set out for me. And help me to do this for Your honor and for Your glory. Amen.

When is God Worthy of Praise?

So this morning started out pretty well. It was a gorgeous morning-sun shining, birds singing, all the cliches that you need for a great day. Lily and I even left a little early, which NEVER happens. I got her to school, walked her in, got my goodbye kiss and headed out. On my way to the car I got to visit with a couple church members, pick on a few kids, and just generally engage in activities that put a little spring in my step. I get to the car and think, "This is going to be a great day." All the way to the office I'm thinking about the Lord, how good He is to me and my family; I'm thinking about my text for Sunday's sermon, praying about it, etc. All in all, things are going fantastically well. And then, as I was about to turn left at an intersection, I happened to look back to my left and see a car coming over the hill, a car that wasn't there the first time I looked. Fortunately I had plenty of time to wait for them. As I made my left turn (after looking 3 or 4 additional times) I thought, "That could have been a little messy." And I couldn't help but think how differently my morning would have gone had I pulled out in front of this car and gotten T-Boned. Now understand, the other car was moving at a pretty good clip; and I wasn't wearing my seat belt (I know, I know, save your comments; I promise to wear it next time). Had I gotten hit, it would have been directly on my door, with the other car probably going about 50 miles an hour. As I said, would have been a little messy. And as I rolled that thought around I was struck by another thought; had I pulled out in front of the car and gotten hit would God be any less worthy of praise?

Important question, isn't it? Because it gets to the heart of what we believe about God. Is God worthy of praise only when He does good things for us? Should we praise Him only because of what He does? Or is God worthy of praise regardless of what happens, i.e., should we praise Him because of who He is?

Very important to consider. Our answer demonstrates what we believe about the worthiness of God. And maybe the best illustration of how we should respond is found in the life of Job. We remember his story well, but the problem is that we know it so well we sort of gloss over it. We read about him losing everything without pausing to consider the implications of that. He lost everything. The Bible records that in rapid-fire succession, Job was informed that he had lost his fortune and his family. Now put yourself there. Your day stars like any other. Maybe you're having a cup of coffee at the local diner. And you see a friend's car pull up, skid to a stop and your friend gets out of the car running; he comes to you as fast as he can and breathlessly announces that he just came from your house and it had burned to the ground. While he's talking another friend runs up and says that all your investments have just failed and you're left with nothing. And while he's still talking another person runs up, tears in his eyes, and tells you that all your children were just killed in a freak storm. Now let all that sink in. What emotions would you feel? What would you want to say to God? We know what Job said. He tore his robe and shaved his head (both signs of intense mourning), and then said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away: Blessed be the name of the Lord."

I could imagine I would want to say a lot of things if I received such news; but "blessed be the name of the Lord" isn't at the top of the list. But why shouldn't it be? According to scripture, God is worthy of praise; that means He deserves it. Not because of what He does, but because of who He is. His nature is praiseworthy; who He is demands our adoration and praise. One of the hardest lessons we have to learn is that God's worthy isn't dependant on our circumstances. God is worthy of praise whether the sun is shining or it's cloudy outside. God is worthy when I've got money and when I'm broke. He's worthy when good things happen and when bad things happen. God is worthy. No matter what happens in my life, He deserves the honor and the glory and power and the worship, forever. Today, remember the worthiness of God; and praise Him regardless of what happens.

Father, thank You for being worthy of praise. Thank You for being so majestic, so awesome, so incredible and incomprehensible that you are worthy of praise regardless of what happens in my life. Help me to see beyond myself, take away my selfishness and help me to see Your worth. Help me to praise you in all things. Help me to join with Job and say, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." Amen.

Coffee and Christianity

For most of my life I've been a morning person. I like to sleep in from time to time but by and large I enjoy getting an early start on the day. Sometimes I hear people say things like, "I've never seen the sun come up, I can't imagine getting up that early!", while I simply can't imagine not seeing a sunrise. Things are still quiet, you have a chance to think about the day, to consider what needs to be accomplished, and hopefully spend some time in the presence of the Lord. Nothing like early mornings. And one of the things that makes early mornings so enjoyable is a good cup of coffee. I don't think there's another time of day that coffee smells better than first thing in the morning. Nothing like brewing up a good cup and watching the sunrise. Which brings me to one of the most frustrating things about mornings; my inability to brew coffee consistently. I know, it isn't rocket science; you put the coffee in, add the water, and push the button. A monkey could figure it out. Unfortunately, I'm apparently not as smart as a monkey. Because some days I'm able to brew as fine a cup of coffee as you could drink. No kidding around, I'll brew some stuff that is just fantastic. But after a couple days of fine java, I brew up some tar water. Just bitter, nasty tasting brown water that would gag a maggot (you're welcome for that visual image, btw). It's just frustrating being unable to consistently brew a good cup of coffee.
I've discovered the same frustrations as I try to walk with Christ. Some days I do pretty well. I turn from immorality and embrace righteousness. I walk close to the Lord, surrendering to His leadership in my life. I'm willing to go out of my way to try and minister to someone, eager to obey my King. But there are other days where I fail miserably. And it's so frustrating because I can't seem to figure out what's causing the incongruity. I think I'm doing things the same way each time, but sometimes I get good results, sometimes not. But here's the good thing; I'm not accepted by God based on how well I perform. I'm accepted by God based on how well Jesus performed. See, sometimes we get this idea that God will only accept us if we're good enough. But the Bible says we can't be good enough. Isaiah 64:6 says, "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags..." That means the best I have to offer God is no better than filthy rags. In fact, the word used here refers to menstrual cloths. What a shocking choice of words for the prophet! He says that the best we can offer God is unclean, unacceptable in His sight. And that's why Jesus came to live in our place. The best I could offer God would never be good enough. God's standard is absolute perfection, and I could never be perfect. So Jesus came to be perfect in my place. And when I bowed my knee to Him as Lord and Master, when I repented of my sins and asked for His mercy, the righteousness/perfection of Jesus was credited to my account. 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." The righteousness of Jesus was applied to my life. It's just as though I lived the perfect life that Jesus lived. And so even when I fail, even when I sin and fall short of God's standard for my life, I'm still acceptable to God. Because the basis of my acceptance isn't what I do; it's what Jesus did for me. That's good news. That will make you have a great day; even when you brew lousy coffee.

Father, thank You for Your mercy. Thank You for saving me even though I didn't deserve it then and don't deserve it now. Thank You for Your patience when I fail You. And most of all, thank You for robing me with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Help me to walk worthy of Your calling for me, and help me to always bring You honor and glory. Amen.

Kenya Dig It?

So I probably should have updated the blog before now. I know that when you tell people you've gone to Africa, they immediately want to hear all the stories. And I've got stories, believe you me. But at the same time, spending a few days in Kenya, preaching the gospel and ministering in churches is a unique experience. You come home very conflicted. On the one hand you're incredibly grateful for the things you have, and the lifestyle you can enjoy. On the other, your mind drifts to new friends who have so little, and you wonder about the apparent disparity of it. And of course there are all the amazing times we spent in worship services together. And truth be told, coming home can be a bit of a let down. In the churches we ministered to, the minimum amount of time spent in praise and worship was at least an hour. Then the sermon needed to be at least that long. In fact, the services began at 6 on Sunday morning, and didn't conclude until about 1:30. And the amazing thing is how it flew by; being in God's presence with passionate worshippers made the time pass so quickly. And then you come home and church is most often the opposite of that. And sadly, you immediately find yourself falling into that rut again. You let yourself be ruled by the clock, or by what others may think. And that's terribly unfortunate. I ought not come back and return to who I was; I ought to come back reflecting the things God taught me, the things He did to me and through me.
I'll have more to post in the future; stories that will break your heart, and stories that will make you smile. But for now, know that God was glorified this week. God did what He loves to do; He took an unworthy vessel and used it for His honor and His glory. His church was strengthened; people professed their hope in Christ as their savior. We were protected and blessed and filled and strengthened and challenged and encouraged and broken and lifted up and exhausted and sustained and troubled and happy and a million other feelings/emotions. Thanks to those who checked in on us, and those who prayed for us. Your prayers sustained us, and your partnership with us was such an encouragement. Sola Deo Gloria.

Lessons from the Timer

One of the joys of living in a home with 3 women (other than the exercise I get while treading water in a bottomless sea of estrogen) is being constantly amazed at how long they can take in the shower. Seriously, I think Global Warming isn't happening from carbon or any of that other stuff; it's happening because of all the steam escaping from homes where women spend so much time in the shower. And I've discovered that this isn't limited just to adult women; it's a trait that's shared by women-in-training as well. Like Lily. I love my Lily-bug; coolest kid around. But she could spend all day in the shower. It was getting to be quite a problem because she likes to shower in the mornings rather than the evenings but was taking so long she was consistently late for school. And it's hard to explain to teachers why your kid is late when you only live 2 blocks from the school. So we finally settled on a solution; the good old fashioned kitchen timer. We set it when she gets in the shower and it when it goes off, she knows it's time to get out. The first few times were kind of tough, especially since she still had soap in her hair. But we told her to toughen up and she would be fine.

As I was setting her timer this morning (and yes, we have to set the timer for her as she isn't fully awake until about 20 minutes after her shower), I was struck by the thought that we're all on a timer. There is a limited amount of time we're given. And the funny thing is, we don't know how much time it is. It would be nice if we knew how many minutes were on our timer, wouldn't it? I don't mean in a morbid way, I just mean that we would be more focused on what matters. We would give ourselves to the things that have significance rather than wasting some of our precious minutes and hours on stupid, inconsequential things.

In Psalm 90:12 we read, "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Wisdom comes when we learn to number our days; not try and affix a specific amount of time to our lives, but realize we are given but a finite time here. This life will not last forever. And so the choice before is simple; what will we do with the time we have? And don't misunderstand, this isn't a "You better repent before you die" kind of post-although you should. This is just a reminder that the years we're given aren't infinite; that the moment you're in your life won't last forever; that the season you're in will one day pass. One day my kids will be grown and gone; some days I wish for that. But when that day comes, will I look back on how I spent my time with them and be proud? Or will I look back with regret? Will I look back on how I treated others and be content? Or will I be filled with remorse for stupid words and thoughtless actions? And most of all, when I look back on how I regarded my Savior, will I be able to say that I kept the faith and ran the race? Or will I look back and see that I shamed my King?

Our lives are on the timer, so to speak; you may have decades yet to live, and I hope you do. I hope I do. But I may not. If not, what am I doing today that matters? What am I doing now that will last? Am I numbering my days? Or am I wasting them?

Father, thank You for the gift of life. Thank You for granting me the years I've had. Help me to remember that those years are finite, that there will come a day when the timer of my life will run out. Help me to live in such a way that when that day comes I won't be ashamed, I won't be sad. Rather, I'll be able to rejoice in Your provision, and look back with gratitude on how You led me to spend my days wisely. Help me to do what matters in regards to my family, my church, and most of all, in regards to You, my King. Amen.

Cold Feet and Selfish Hearts

The other night Lily and Emma had a classic fight, one that's been had by anyone who's ever had to share a bed with someone who has really cold feet. First, a little background. When we lived in Hermitage the girls shared a room but had separate beds. We had stackable bunk beds and for a while that worked great; it stopped working great the day I walked into their room and saw Owen, who was 1 at the time, standing on the top bunk, with his back towards the ladder. Needless to say, the stackable bunks were quickly unstacked. When we moved to Gurdon, though, there wasn't room in the girls' bedroom for both beds (one was a twin bunk, the other a futon). So we just let them share a full size bed-an arrangement with which Emma was thrilled and Lily, being way too cool to share a bed with her kid sister, hated. Nevertheless, here we are.
So as I was tucking them in, fixing covers and all that, Lily said, "Emma, get your feet off me!" Apparently in place of feet, Emma had two toddler size blocks of ice attached directly beneath her ankles. Emma replied, "But my feet are cold and you're warm!" Who hasn't had this argument, right? Cold feet are pulled, as though by gravity itself, towards a source of warmth-which is generally the person with whom you share your bed. Kelly and I have had this argument on several occasions (by the way, she's got the coldest friggin' feet in history; some nights I think she dips them in liquid nitrogen before coming to bed-love ya, babe!)
Now here's the point of this seemingly incoherent rambling; Emma and Lily's spat demonstrates the selfishness that resides in all our hearts. Outwardly we can be pretty good, can't we? We can say the right things, do the right things, smile when we're supposed to, cry when we're supposed to, etc. But inwardly, we are wicked. We fit the description that Jesus used of the Pharisees when He called them 'white-washed tombs'-pretty on the outside, full of decay and rot on the inside. And don't misunderstand; putting cold feet on someone isn't a crime worthy of death or anything, but it demonstrates the way we want to put ourselves first. Emma gave no thought to the discomfort she might cause Lily; her only concern was herself (I'm not bashing my kid, by the way, so keep your comments to yourself; she's 4, she's learning; I'm just illustrating a point). And that's exactly how many of us live. Our only concern is ourselves. We want what's best for us and we want it right now.
Don't believe me? Think back to the last time you got stuck behind someone who was going about 20 miles per hour below the speed limit, and wouldn't move over so you could pass. Did you think, "I'm sure they have a good reason, perhaps they don't notice me; I'll simply be patient"? Or did you begin to conjugate new verbs, and wish a pox and pestilence on them? We focus on ourselves, don't we? And that's the opposite of what Jesus has commanded us to do. In Philippians chapter 2, we're implored to think of others first. Verses 3-4 read, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Now what's remarkable is that the very next verse tells us to have the same attitude as Jesus; which means that vs3-4 describe in part what that attitude was. No matter what you think about Jesus and Christianity, you've got to admit that the world would be a much better place if everyone did that. Imagine a place where we thought of others first rather than ourselves. That's exactly what we're called to do. How often do I obey this command (and it is a command, by the way, not a suggestion)? How often do I instead focus on myself? Jesus calls me to a life of self-denial; to put the needs and desires of others above my own. Will obey? Or will I continue to put my cold feet on others?

Father, forgive me for my selfishness. Forgive me for putting my self above others. Forgive me for not following Your example. Help me to have the mind of Christ regarding others. Help me walk in Your ways rather than my own. And by my obedience, may the world get a glimpse of Your incredible, self-less love; a love that led you to the cross to pay for my sins.
Amen.