Fun on the Farm

This weekend, some friends of ours were out of town, and we got to take care of their farm.  It is always fun and exciting for us to get to do that.  My kids love to go to the farm.  There is always something interesting that happens.  Last year, we took care of the farm for a week and as I went into the pen to feed the ducks I found that there was a bull snake laying on the duck eggs instead of a duck.  This happened not once but twice!  One of the snakes was about 4 feet long and the other was 5.  I’m not a big fan of snakes…

Anyway, there was nothing quite as exciting as that this year.  However, there are always stories to tell and lessons to learn.  Their son has a Holstein “bucket calf” that he is raising for 4-H.  The calf is just as tame and sweet as she can be.  I had been petting her quite a bit.  Therefore, I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal to get her in her pen to feed her.  She has to be separated while she eats so the steer doesn’t try to get in and eat her feed.  I tried to coax her into the pen, even putting the bucket of feed up to her nose, and she wouldn’t come.  So, I put the bucket down and tried to gently pull her halter.  She wouldn’t budge.  Then, I pulled a little harder and the halter came off.  Well, goofy me then tried to put my arm around her neck as if I was some kind of steer wrestler and pull her into the pen (No worries – no animals were harmed in the making of this story!).  Thinking back on it, I don’t know why I did that.  I guess I was on a mission and was going to get that calf in there if it killed me.  Anyway, she’s bigger than I thought (or I’m not as strong as I thought), because I still couldn’t get her to move.  I think she thought it was a game because she was just standing there looking at me like, “Okay, now what.”  I obviously hadn’t upset or scared her.  I really didn’t want to get behind her because I know how calves can kick, and I was about to try the ol’ pulling the tail up over the back trick when my 5 year old grabbed the feed bucket and said come on baby, you can do it.  That calf just followed her right into the pen making me look like a complete idiot.  I felt like saying, “My name is daddy and I may have a degree in animal science, but I am not smarter than a 5 year old!”  Oh, the gentleness of a child.  It was a beautiful picture watching the calf follow my little girl into the pen.  I think she saw my daughter’s big brown eyes and thought, “Hey, we could be sisters.” 

I commended my daughter on doing something that I couldn’t do.  I praised her for doing a job well done.  I think she sensed my pride was a little bruised and she said, “It’s okay, Daddy.  I’ve been out here more than you have and I think she is just more used to me.”  Of course, later when her sisters were around, she said, “I did something Daddy couldn’t do, right Daddy?”  “Yep, honey, you sure did,” was about all I could say.

Later on, I thought a lot about how this applies to life.  Too many times, we, especially men, try to use brute strength and force to do something that is really better accomplished with gentleness.  In fact, the child I’m talking about is much like that calf in that she is very stubborn and strong willed.  If we get into a “battle”, she will dig in her heels and often has to be physically moved.  Fortunately, she’s not 200+ lbs…  However, the more gentle and patient I am, the better she responds.  Too often, I go the wrong route because I’m just too tired and busy to stop and take the time to be patient and gentle.  I’m beginning to see the value of the saying, “less is more.”  Less stuff, less busyness = less stress, more abundant life.  I’m depending on God’s grace to help us to find balance and for me to be more patient.

May God give you patience and gentleness today in dealing with those around you!

Encouragement from the Life of Jim Elliot

This morning, I was listening to a tape (yes, a tape, not a cd) by John Maxwell called Comfort Zone or End Zone.  In it was included the first quote I have listed below.  The quote belongs to the martyred missionary, Jim Elliot (Oct. 8, 1927 – Jan. 8, 1956).  He wrote this in his journal at the age of 21.  It struck such a chord with me because of where I am spiritually right now.  If you have read my entries “Restless Spirit” and “In Hot Pursuit, you will understand what I am talking about.  After hearing this quote read by Maxwell, I decided to search for other quotes by Jim Elliot.  What you see below was mostly found at this website:   http://www.seel.us/christian/Quotes-from-Jim-Eliot.htm.  I would encourage you to read the biography of Jim Elliot.  Here is one biographical website that I found that tells his story:  http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b4jelliot6ra.htm.  There is also a movie out called The End of the Spear, and I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t seen it, yet.  I will put it on my list of movies, and maybe will watch it at 4:30 one morning. . 

November 28, 1948:

 “Spent this afternoon with Ron at _________’s. They were most hospitable…They have a nice home and belongings and two cute kiddies, but are so like the rest of us that it is again disheartening. We are so utterly ordinary, so commonplace, while we profess to know a Power the Twentieth Century does not reckon with. But we are ‘harmless’, and therefore unharmed. We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle-to-the-death with principalities and powers in high places. Meekness must be had for contact with men, but brass, outspoken boldness is required to take part in the comradeship of the Cross. We are ’sideliners’—coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are too much like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous!”

 

The following journal entry was written exactly 20 years to the day before my birth.  Oh, how I want this to be my prayer today (along with the part of the above quote that says, “Oh, that God would make us dangerous!”).  That I will have a heart like David’s – who was called, “A man after God’s own heart.”  Though I sense God calling me to something bigger than myself, may I never step out in my own self-confidence.  I pray that I will always seek Him first.  Wow, this just makes my heart leap thinking about this!

May 2, 1952:

“Oh for a heart like David’s. For all his obvious powers of leadership he never goes out to lead the people in battle without consultation with Jehovah. Shall I go up? This lack of self-confidence marks him as God’s man for guiding others. He allowed God to press His cause, and the kingdom was established in his hand. Good lessons for the basing of our thoughts about moving to the Aucas.”

 

The next entry goes along with some of my posts where I have talked about dreams and about my boyhood.  I couldn’t agree with Jim more on what he says here.  Following the will of God is the ultimate experience.  This was written a little over 3 years before his death.

December 18, 1952:

“In my own experience I have found that the most extravagant dreams of boyhood have not surpassed the great experience of being in the Will of God, and I believe that nothing could be better. That is not to say that I do not want other things, and other ways of living, and other places to see, but in my right mind I know that my hopes and plans for myself could not be any better than He has arranged and fulfilled them. Thus may we all find it, and know the truth of the Word which says, He will be our guide even until death.”

Here are a few more quotes that I found.  The first one is probably his most famous one:

“He is no fool who gives
what he cannot keep to gain
what he cannot lose.”

“That saint who advances on
his knees never retreats”

“Wherever you are, be all
there. Live to the hilt every
situation you believe to
be the will of God.”

Well, I hope you have received as much encouragement as I have today from a man who truly lived out his own quote of giving up what he couldn’t keep to gain what he couldn’t lose.  Oh, to have the conviction and courage of men like this…  May God help you to keep your focus on what is important today. 

 

 

Ten Key Moves – Mentors

I have a two-fold purpose behind this post.  First of all, it has been awhile since I have listed one of my ten key moves, and now seems like the right time for this one.  The key move is stated this way:  “I will make it a point to find mentors and learn from them.  I will pass on this knowledge by mentoring others.”  Secondly, I want to honor my own mentors.

Let me begin by saying that even those who had great dads (or parents for that matter) will benefit from learning from mentors.  We dads don’t know everything, and can only take our children so far in life.  My stepdad was great in teaching me discipline, was very intelligent academically, and was among the best in his field as a music teacher.  His choirs sang at St. Patrick’s Cathedral among many other places.  However, that’s just it.  He was a music major and I went into the field of agriculture in college.  He could only take me so far.  The same goes for my Grandpa and Uncle, whom I have spoken of before.  God uses many people to help shape us, if we will only stop and learn from them.

The Bible gives us many examples of mentoring relationships:  Jethro to Moses / Moses to Joshua / Elijah to Elisha / Paul to Timothy / and Jesus to his disciples to name a few.  Dr. Howard Hendricks, in his book As Iron Sharpens Iron, lists ten marks of a good mentor.  I am going to list those for you here:

1. This man clearly has what you personally need.
2. He chooses to cultivate a relationship with you.
3. He is willing to take a chance on you.
4. He is respected by other men.
5. He has a network of resources.
6. He is consulted by others.
7. He both talks and listens.
8. He is consistent in his lifestyle
9. He is able to diagnose your real needs.
10. He is concerned with your interests.

I would like to tell you about a mentor who fit this description perfectly – yes, all 10 points and more.  We all called (and still call) him “Doc,” and the impact he has made on my life is incredible.  When I was a Junior in high school, I took an animal science class.  Through that, I joined the FFA Meat Judging Team.  Honestly, when I first started, I didn’t have a clue.  I saw a picture of a cubed steak and called it ground beef.  Anyway, I judged for two years and ended up placing second at the Texas State Meat Judging Contest as a Senior.  When I went to college at West Texas A&M University, I went as a pre-vet major.  However, after taking the animal science class under Doc, I decided to change my major to animal / meat science.  I was assigned to an adviser, and guess who it was?  You got it - Doc.  I remember the first ”formal” meeting we had.  Fortunately, I had done really well in his class.  In this meeting, he basically asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up.  I asked him if he thought I would ever be able to be a USDA meat grader.  He looked at me with his characteristic grin and said, “You could be the boss of the graders.”  In another conversation we had on down the road, we were talking about salaries.  I wandered if I would ever be able to make $50,000 a year (which sounded like a huge amount to me as a college student).  His response was this, “Someday, you’ll make $150,000 a year.”  Little did he know I would leave the meat industry and go into ministry.   This man spoke life into me.  Since I had such high regard and respect for him in the meat science field, his encouragement meant the world to me.  He was my “coach” who would stand on the sidelines and root me on.  He was the one who would tell me I could do it, no matter what “it” was. 

Ironically, my stepdad and I had a falling out the summer after my Sophomore year, so I didn’t go home for the summer.  I lived with my grandparents, and found a “job” selling Cutco knives.  That lasted 3 weeks, and I made a whopping $136, which was barely enough to cover the cost of my sales kit.  The only reason I made that much was because Grandma felt sorry for me and bought the super deluxe set with all the bells and whistles for somewhere in the neighborhood of $800!  I remember going over to one family’s house, and working really hard to sell a set of knives.  I ended up selling them one measely spoon.  That’s when I decided I better find another line of work.  On top of that, I had just made a really stupid decision to sell my ‘84 Escort that was paid for to buy a sporty ‘89 Olds Cutlass Calais.  Needless to say, I needed a job fast!  I went “crawling” into Doc’s office and asked if he had any work for me at the research center.  Just a side note – he later shared with me that when he saw my car he thought I was a spoiled rich kid.  He only told me that after he found out it was far from the truth. :-)  Anyway, he put me to work 40 hours per week right away.  I got more experience working for Doc than I could have ever received in a classroom.  He believed in me, and gave me a lot of responsibility as a college student.  I received both my B.S. and M.Ag under him.  While doing so, I oversaw data collection crews, and ended up going to over 20 different meat packing plants in 3 countries and collecting data on tens of thousands of cattle.  Doc would often go out of the country on consulting work, and leave me in charge.  I was also the student manager of the meat lab and coach of the meat judging team.   As a Graduate Assistant, I would often teach his meat science class in his absence, and was eventually given the title of Assistant Director of the Cattlemen’s Carcass Data Service.  Please don’t take any of this as boasting – this is the power of having an incredible mentor who believed in me and gave me opportunities.  At least once per week, he would take me to lunch so we could talk “business.”  He would work it so I could go on most of the out of state trips with him, and even a few out of country trips.  He would always check to see how I was doing and if he was overworking me.  He cared about me as a person.  We went to his house many times.  My wife and I traveled with him and his wife to Pennsylvania to a conference, where I received an award from the American Meat Science Association that he nominated me for.  He made sure and took us up to Niagara Falls on that trip, just for fun.  He would never let me pay for anything.  This man taught me way more than meat science.  He taught me about life.  He is such a wise man, and I thank God that Doc didn’t keep all that wisdom to himself, but emparted some to me.  

Stay with me, this is the cool part.  At one point, Doc gave me a mission.  That mission was to find and train my replacement.  There was a young man (we’ll call him T.L.) taking our meat science class, and was acing the tests.  He was also very gung-ho in doing the labs.  I told Doc that this guy would be my replacement.  T.L. wanted to be a rodeo cowboy and a welder, if my memory serves me correctly.  Well, I convinced T.L. to join the first meat judging team that I coached and to join us in collecting data at the research center.  Soon, he became my right hand man at the research center, and was eventually my co-leader and co-coach.  Not to mention, we became very close friends.  He took over when I left and went on to get his Masters and Ph.D.  Here’s the part of the story that I love though – Doc retired a few years ago and T.L. moved back to Texas to assume Doc’s position as professor of meat science at the university!!  Is that not cool or what?  I joked with Doc that little did we know when I found my replacement, I had also found his!! 

I probably went into more detail than most of you wanted to read, but I couldn’t help it.  I hope that everyone at some point has a Doc in their life.  He taught me so much and my life is richer because of it.  I have other mentors who have helped me in my spiritual walk and in being a husband and father.  These men have set a high bar for me, and I still look to them for wisdom.  I am always on the lookout for other mentors who are willing to teach me.  Along with that, I want to mentor others and give them what has been given to me.  I want to speak life into the boys and girls of our ministry to single parent families.  I want to speak life into young fathers and encourage them in a world that makes it very difficult to be godly.  I want to encourage single parents and young families.  Goodness, I want to encourage anyone I can.  Not because I think I’m qualified, but because others have helped me, and it is my heart to return that favor by serving others.  I am on this earth to serve and be as much like Jesus (the ultimate teacher and mentor) as I can be.  Thank you to all those who have mentored me. 

May God bring mentors into your life and may He use you to speak truth and life into someone else’s life!

Dad Is Destiny

A couple of situations this past week have caused me to pull up some old notes from my first Men’s Fraternity session – The Quest for Authentic Manhood.  Chapter 22 is called Fathers and Sons.  In this chapter, Robert Lewis says that “dad is destiny”.  In other words, Dad is a powerful force in the life of his son, and the son’s destiny has a lot to do with how strategic his dad is at teaching him about manhood.  Proverbs 17:6 says, “The glory of sons is their fathers.”  Just think about all of the “my dad is bigger than your dad; well my dad can beat up your dad; well, my dad is a _______; SO, my dad is a ___________… conversations that take place on any given day.  Boys idolize their fathers.  We dads get undeserved worship from our sons.  They want to be like us!!!  Because of this, we dads can make or break our sons (or daughters for that matter).  Both Robert Lewis and John Eldredge talk about the ”father wound.”  We all have one because no dad is perfect.  However, some wounds are much deeper and debilitating than others.  We need to speak life into our sons.  Eldredge says, in his book, Wild at Heart that every man has a deep, haunting question within, “Am I a man?  Do I have what it takes?”  This question really needs to be answered by his father.  However, with so many absent fathers in our country, we have many confused, angry, hurting men who never had the question answered.  They are trying to get their validation from other sources, without success.  Lewis says that every boy needs to hear three things from his dad:  1)  Son, I love you.  2)  Son, I’m proud of you.  3)  Son, you’re good at _________________.  Just listen to the words of God regarding His Son in Mark 9:7, “This is my Son, whom I love.  Listen to Him!”  Wow, now that is the kind of validation that a son needs from his father! 

Now, I’m going to give you two scenarios that I have seen over the past week that give you pictures from opposite ends of the spectrum.  As you may have read in my post “The Rally,” we have a little boy with Down’s Syndrome playing on our softball team.  He comes to every practice and plays in every game.  He usually hits the ball without the help of the tee (after five pitches from the coach, the child can hit off the tee), and runs with all his might to first base.  He does well at stopping the ball when it comes to him.  I only know this family through softball, so I’m not going to make up some grandiose story, though I suspect there is a wonderful story behind this family.  All I know is that his family hasn’t given up on him.  They haven’t given him the “well, I have a disability” crutch.  I’m guessing his dad has worked with him in playing softball and has encouraged him to try new things and not quit.  I have seen how his brother and sister adore him and encourage him.  Again, I don’t know the history of the “tree”, but I see the bounty of ”fruit” that has come from the “tree”.  I see the results of a family who has worked “against the odds” to make sure this child has every opportunity to be all God has created him to be.  I can’t tell you how much good it does my heart to be around this little guy!

Then, there’s scenario #2.  Recently, my wife was watching a group of children at our church.  One of the little boys has an anger issue, and often gets rough with the other kids around him.  My wife was trying to be positive and told the others that he was just having a “moment” and was going to settle down and be kind.  After a few more exchanges, the truth came out.  I believe it is at the heart of his anger issue.  I don’t remember what prompted it, but he said, “I’m not smart.”  When my wife tried to tell him that he was smart, he said, “No, I’m not smart because my dad tells me that I’m not smart.”  I thought my wife’s blood was going to boil.  She is a very calm and even tempered person.  In fact, I rarely see her upset.  This time, however, she was angry.  The more I think about it, it breaks my heart to hear this.  Unless something drastic happens, this boy is going to be deeply wounded by his father.  I feel like I need to do something about this, but need to pray for direction.

Dads, we help set our child’s destiny.  A boy who knows he is loved by his dad, who knows his dad is proud of him, and is told that he is good at something will have a healthy confidence going into life.  A boy whose dad has not spoken these truths into his life will be confused and angry.  Confused men cause major problems.  Just look around.  A vast majority of men sitting in prison didn’t have good relationships with their fathers.

We has dads must realize the power that has been given to us.  We may not feel equipped to use it, but it’s there and it’s real.  It can be a powerful tool in advancing the Kingdom of God if we will use it wisely.

May God grant you the strength to speak truth and life into your children today!

Freedom!

Yesterday afternoon I was folding laundry with my wife in the basement when our second daughter came running down the stairs (yes, in a very dramatic way).  She came to tell us that her younger sister had “let the dog out” and was now chasing her all over the neighborhood.  Really, she had been in the pen playing with the dog, and found that when she was finished playing and wanted to leave the pen, she was no match for the 70 lb lab mix who wanted to run.  Anyway, I went outside just in time to find her running past the house and down the street, eyes wide as if she was in big trouble.  I told her to stay home, and I jogged toward the end of the block where the dog was.  She wouldn’t come until I got close enough for her to realize that her fun was over and then she came right to me, worn out and panting.  When I got back to the yard, my youngest daughter was talking a thousand words per minute (not at all out of the ordinary), and the last thing she said was, “I’m sorry, Daddy.”  I told her that it was okay, but I didn’t want her running all over the neighborhood without supervision, so just to come get me if it happened again.  She stuck right by my side as we put the dog back into her pen.  After latching the gate, she looked up at me with her dancing brown eyes and said something like this, “It’s weird, but she kind of had a lot of joy while she was running.”  What a profound statement coming from a five year old.  She’s right.  Our dog looks like she is full of joy when she gets to take off running with no boundaries.  As far as kennels go, she has a pretty large space, but she likes to RUN.  Unfortunately, the neighbors don’t care for it too much. 

Now, you know me…  I try to find a lesson in everything.  As I have been thinking about this, some questions have come to mind.  How many times do we stay in our ”safe zones” when God calls us to so much more?  What happens when we throw off all that hinders us and experience true freedom in Christ?  We all know that God has put up some boundaries for our own good.  But what about those man-made boundaries, such as fear of the unknown or fear of what others will think?  What happens when we take away those man-made boundaries and pursue God with everything we have, no matter what He calls us to do?  What happens when we stop caring what the neighbors think, and serve Him fully?  I think that our joy, will be so evident, that everyone will notice.  Boy, I’m glad my five year old took advantage of this teachable moment so her daddy wouldn’t miss it! 

About four years ago, I overcame fear and went repelling down a 140 foot cliff.  It was at a Wild at Heart bootcamp.  No, it wasn’t pretty.  I was not at all in good shape, nor coordinated enough to even look like I knew what I was doing.  In fact, I hit the cliff numerous times on the way down.  BUT, I did it, and lived to tell about it.  My good friend who was with me developed the pictures and put them in a frame as a gift.  He included this quote from the movie Braveheart – “All men die; few men ever really live.”  What was William Wallace’s battlecry?  FREEDOM!!!  It gives me chills thinking about it. 

Let’s all bolt out of our “pens” today and enjoy the freedom we have in Christ!  Let’s all do something today to overcome a fear that we have.  Let’s scale the walls and experience the thrill of serving God with no reserves.

May we cast off all fear today, except the reverent fear of our Holy God, and may He grant us the courage we will need for the adventure!!

In Hot Pursuit

Once again, I find myself in God’s classroom.  I listened to a Dean Trune cd called Pleasing or Trusting God today and also began to read a book called Risk by Kenny Luck.  What a name for an author of a book on risk!  Anyway, in reflecting on some things that I’m learning, the old Smoky and the Bandit movies came to mind.  Buford T. Justice was always talking about being in “hot pursuit.”  Those of you who know what I’m talking about – can’t you just hear him saying it?  Okay, yes, I’m taking another trip back to boyhood, but only for a moment.   Anyway, just for the sake of the analogy, imagine that God is like the Bandit and his trucking buddy, the Snowman (yeah, right, but anyway…) who are “Eastbound and down, loaded up and trucking.  We’re gonna do what they say can’t be done…”  Now, let’s picture one of those high speed chases.  Who is the Smokey in hot pursuit of?   The Bandit.  He is not in hot pursuit of whatever it is that Bandit is doing; He is in hot pursuit of the Bandit.  Let’s now put ourselves in place of the Smokey and God in the place of the Bandit.  Boom.  We are in hot pursuit of God.  NOT in hot pursuit of what God is doing or where he is going, but of Him.  He is looking to do the impossible – doing what “they say can’t be done.”  When we pursue Him, we are seeking to join Him in doing the impossible.  I think this is where I have been missing the boat lately, and probably where many of us miss out.  We attempt to pursue ministry (the things we can do) instead of pursuing God.  As Dean puts it, when we are living this way, we are living in the Room of Good Intentions.  In this room, we are striving to be all God wants us to be, and entry into this room is based on trying to please God by our own works and efforts at righteous living.  This is where we end up being busy and tired, and we only dream of what we can do, not of what God can do.  On the other hand, when we pursue God, we are living in the Room of Grace.  In this room, we live out who God says we are because of who He is, and entry into this room is based on humility and pleasing God by trusting Him.  In this room, the needy Christian begins to heal, the healing Christian begins to mature, and the maturing Christian is released to receive God’s dreams for him / her to minister in His Kingdom.  When we live in the Room of Grace, we are abiding and trusting in Christ, who will direct our every step.  It is all about our relationship with Him.  Spiritual disciplines here take place out of a love, not duty, for God.  We are fruitful because of His power.  I believe God is more interested in the journey than He is in the final destination.  Let’s look at Hebrews 11:1-2, 6, 8-10, 13-16, 39-40, and 12: 1-3:

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  This is what the ancients are commended for…  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him…  By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to a city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God….  All these people were still living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.  And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one.  Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them…  These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.  God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.  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.  Let 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.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

There is so much to be learned by this amazing passage.  I’m sure I will just touch the surface.  First of all, we do not see where we are going.  However, we trust our driver to lead us and tell us on an “as need to know” basis.  We go where God leads, no matter what.  Secondly, it is impossible to please God without faith.  To please God, we really need to step out into the waters where we can’t see where we are going (see definition of faith, again).  Too many times we just do those shortsighted things that keep us busy, but don’t require faith.  God is not pleased by our busyness, in fact we are to find rest in Him.  Living by faith doesn’t come with just ”doing more for God” because that is spawned out of self-righteousness and pride.  Faith comes from knowing who God is and trusting and obeying no matter what.  In order to do this, we must abide in Him 100%.  Thirdly, it’s not about pursuing ministry, but pursuing God.  In vs. 6, Scripture tells us that we are rewarded for earnestly seeking Him!!  For Abraham and others, it wasn’t about the earthly destination, for they never even saw the promise fulfilled.  It was about the relationship with God -  Abraham is called a friend of God (James 2:23)! He is commended for his faith that he lived out along the journey.  Next, it says that ”all these people” were still living out their faith when they died.  This reminds me of what I talked about yesterday.  I guess you could say that Abraham and friends died with their boots on.  They didn’t give up and “retire.”  They lived with the end in mind.  Lastly, we are expected to live this same way.  We are called to throw off all that hinders and RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE.  Are we to fix our eyes on the goal or on the ministry?  NO!!  We are to fix our eyes on Jesus.  That, my friend, is hot pursuit.  When we do, we won’t grow weary and lose heart.  We will be fruitful in His power.  Wow, what a promise!!

So, who or what are we pursuing?  I say let’s pursue God, and when we do…  HANG ON FOR THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME!

May you pursue God today with wreckless abandon.  May you abide in Him and He in you so that you will be fruitful.  Apart from Him, we are nothing.

Okay, after reflecting on all of this on the ride home, I want to add this:  In light of what has already been said, plus John 10, “The full and abundant life (includes true ministry) that Jesus promises is what happens supernaturally when we are pursuing God (a.k.a. following our Good Shepherd, knowing, listening, and obeying His voice).  This can also be seen in Matthew 6:33.  However, if we don’t pursue Him first, we are pursuing self, often under the disguise that we try to call “ministry.”  In other words, we are trying to make ourselves feel good by “doing ministry” instead of seeking God and truly living out the ministry He has for us.”  This is the basis for the Room of Good Intentions vs. the Room of Grace.

 

Restless Spirit

Okay.  I’m listening, Lord.  You have my attention.  Teach me, lead me, show me.  I want to give all for you.

It was a beautiful morning as I rode my bike to the office, and the above is a summary of my prayer this morning.

God is trying to get my attention.  I know because I’ve been here before.  It’s that restless spirit.  I realize that I’ve been in a rut.  I’m doing nothing bigger than myself.  There has to be more to ministry than what I’m doing because nothing I’m doing requires supernatural strength.  As I rode the bike home yesterday, I was a little down in the dumps in my heart, though I hid it fairly well.  At least, I think I did.  I feel like I should be doing more.  I feel ineffective.  Yes, I realize that some of it could be spiritual warfare.  However, I think most of it is God’s nudging.  As I rode home, I reflected on some things God has brought my way recently.  Yesterday, I received a devotional by email on daring to dream.  I’ve seen two quotes this week that point toward what I wrote in my post, “Sailing the High Seas or Safe in the Harbor.”  One of them said:  “RISK – You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”  The other one was a Mark Twain quote that said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”  Previous experience tells me that when it’s this intense and my heart is thumping and alive, it’s God.

Soon after I got home, we rushed off to a teeball game, and then to a softball game.  The kids played with a lot of heart, but we came up a little short again.  I began to question my ability as a co-coach to take this team to the next level.  Of course, the enemy uses that to trigger thoughts of inadequacy all the way around.  Then, we went to the ballpark to watch a friend’s 10 year old boy play baseball.  Being there, with my son, was a pretty awesome and overwhelming feeling.  Wow, did memories from my childhood flood back.  I had memories of my cousin and I taking on the neighborhood kids – 2 against how many ever they could muster.  We were undefeated.  I had memories of pitching to my uncle (yes, the “glove that fit” uncle) and him telling me he wished I could pitch for my cousin’s little league team (good ol’ fashioned confidence builder).  We had big dreams back then of playing in the majors.  I never even got to play on an organized baseball team.  I grew up thinking, “I wouldn’t have been good enough, anyway.”  It’s the whole manhood question that John Eldredge talks about.  Every man has a question in his heart, “Do I have what it takes?”  We spend our lives trying to get this question answered…  Anyway, we got home, and I turned on the tv just in time to see that the Celtics had plastered the Lakers by 39 points.  Yep, just like the old days.  Fitting end to a somewhat downer day of reflecting on boyhood.  Why all these reflections on my boyhood??  I don’t know, but this week has been full of memories.  Maybe God wants to revive that adventurous spirit… 

Then, the storm hit at 3:50 a.m.  After we shut windows, got the dog in the garage, comforted our son who woke up during it all, and checked the tv to see what we were in for, my wife and I were wide awake.  We had been trying to find a time to watch a movie that we borrowed – Second Hand Lions.  Yes, I know we are behind the times.  In fact, if you ask us, “Have you seen…” we can probably answer “no” before you finish the sentence.  Anyway, this seemed like just as good a time as any.  I wasn’t prepared for a movie of this caliber.  I was not prepared to soak in all that it would teach me.  I wasn’t prepared to be affected this way so early in the morning.  What a movie!  What a message!  I wish someone had given me that speech on how a boy becomes a man.  With too many things in life, we feel our way through, where a good mentor could help us chart the waters more effectively.  I wish we could have heard the whole speech instead of “just a piece.”  “People are basically good.  Honor, courage, and virtue mean everything.  Money and power, power and money mean nothing.  Good always triumphs over evil.  True love never dies – don’t forget that boy.  A man should believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in.”  I want more of that speech!!!  At least my son is only two, and I have a few years to develop that speech for him!  Every boy needs a “Hub” in his life to keep him grounded and set him straight.  In a perfect world, it would be his dad.  Of course, God brings along other mentors, too.  Anyway, a man who will whip a bunch of cocky teenagers and then take the time to teach them how to fight and give them “the manhood speech” is a man’s man.  One of the most impactful parts of the movie for me is when the lion died.  Oh man…  Hub said she died with her boots on, doing what she was born to do…  She was being a lion!!  She died happy.  She died out of true love.  Then, later, when Walter found out that his uncles had died trying to fly their biplane upside down through the barn at the age of 90 and the sheriff said, “They died with their boots on,” I about lost it.  Finally, at the end, when the Shiek’s grandson said to the grown Walter, “so these two men really lived, huh?”, Walter said, “Yeah, they really lived…,” both men at that moment were hit with the reality that the stories were true.  I’m sure this hammered the whole manhood speech further home for Walter. 

For me, today, it boils down to this.  I want to really live.  I want to die with my boots on.  I don’t want to live a life of mediocrity.  I want to lose sight of the shore, and go where the adventure is.  When I’m long gone (buried in the cornfield next to the lion), I want my children and grandchildren to talk about how dad took risks and made an impact in their lives and in the lives of others.  I want them to see faith in action as I seek to do God’s work.  I don’t want “retirement” to be part of my vocabulary.  At least, not retirement from true ministry.  Not the type of retirement where people drive an RV all over the country fishing, playing golf, and playing shuffleboard.  I want my life to count.  I want to be a part of things that only God can accomplish – things that are bigger than myself.  Where is the action and adventure part to our faith?  What has happened to serving in the power of the Spirit like Noah, Abraham, David, Daniel, John, Paul, Barnabas, Stephen, and the other heroes of the faith?

May God give you a restless spirit for the things He wants you to do, clear direction on what that is, and then the faith and courage to make it happen!

Well, Lord, there it is.  I have said it, and have made it public.  Please give me clear direction and help me to act on it in the power and grace that you so generously provide!  May we abide in You and bear lasting fruit!

What a Weekend!!

My wife and kids sure know how to make a dad feel special!  On Saturday, they told me they would help me with any project that I wanted to get done.  They started by vacuuming and cleaning the windows, dash, etc. in my truck.  Then, they did some weeding in the garden.  We also picked some cherries, with the help of some wonderful friends.  A week or so ago the wind blew over my trumpet vine that I usually sit under in the garden in the mornings.  A good friend came over to help me pull it back up and secure it.  We had to cut it way back because it was so heavy.  As with all projects, it was way more involved and time consuming than we thought it would be…  While we were doing that, my wife and kids made me a bird bath as a Father’s Day gift.  I’ll have to take a picture of it soon and post it.  It is really neat.  Of course, my girls made me all kinds of artwork for Father’s Day, as well.  For breakfast on Sunday, my wife made some awesome baked oatmeal.  Then, after church, she made breakfast burritos and pancakes for lunch.  She said we only had mozzarella cheese, so I asked what would happen if we put spaghetti sauce with the eggs, ham, and cheese instead of salsa.  I couldn’t believe it, but she tried it, and it was some of the best breakfast burritos we have ever had!!  The kids liked it, too.  After lunch, I was planning to take a nap, but I could tell that was not really what the kids wanted to do.   So, after blogging quickly, we went out to play catch.  Later, we went and rented the movie, Nancy Drew, and watched it while we ate nachos from Carlos O’Kelly’s and drank some really good frozen drinks that my wife made.  We all enjoyed the movie.  I especially enjoyed cuddling with my second daughter because the movie was a little too suspenseful for her.  After that, we stayed up a little too late watching the Lakers and Celtics.  Just for the record, I don’t watch or even keep up with basketball much.  For some reason (I think it’s because of the old days), I’m interested in these finals.  Here’s my prediction – unless the Lakers become a lot more disciplined, they will not beat the Celtics at home, especially not twice.  They are not making wise choices in their shots and they are playing wildly in the second half of the games I have seen.  This surprises me with Phil Jackson being their coach.  That is my very unprofessional and uninformed opinion.  Take it for what it’s worth.   Anyway, thought some of you would enjoy hearing about our day.  May God give you peace and blessings today!

By the way, I have added a picture to the blog titled “Dad’s Who Get It Part 4 – My Hero” that some of you may enjoy.

Dad’s Who Get It – The Perfect Father

Happy Father’s Day!!

I won’t write much today because I’m on my way out to play with the kids.  I just had a few reflections today, as I wrap up my series called, “Dad’s Who Get It.” 

Today is June 15.  As I reflect back on my own childhood, June 15 was a very significant date.  It was the date that Yellowstone Lake opened up for fishing.  Yellowstone was our favorite family vacation spot, and my stepdad wanted to be there on that day fishing, no matter what.  A few times it was snowing on that day, but we had our “Spin-a-Lures” in the water, dodging ice chunks trying to catch those illusive trout.  In thinking of this date, I have to think about all that my stepdad did for me.  We went on a lot of really great vacations.  I have seen Mt. McKinley in Alaska, have rafted the Snake River, have been to the top of Pike’s Peak, have seen Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon, the Great Salt Lake, the Giant Sequoias, the Pacific Ocean, and Mt. Rushmore.  I have been to the Rockies, the Grand Tetons, and the Canadian Rockies.  I have been to Disneyland and a few major league baseball games.  There are more things we did, but I think you get the picture.  Many of those memories feel like yesterday.  My stepdad helped me to start and run my own lawn business.  He taught me financial discipline by having me help with balancing the family checkbook and being open with the finances.  He taught me discipline in other areas of life and to do my best no matter what.  He urged me to go to college.  I appreciate all that he taught me more today than ever.  No, he wasn’t perfect, but God has a way of turning negatives into positives.  My stepdad did the best he could, especially considering he had never had children of his own.  He started out with a fourth grader and a Kindergartner.  His dad had really not been around for him either.  He had to learn ”on the fly.”  He was faithful, though.  He didn’t run, but stayed the course.  He was there for me when my dad wasn’t.  Thank you doesn’t seem like enough, but I’ll try to say thank you by being the best dad I can be to my kids.  He now has a daughter of his own, and he adores her.  We went through some rough waters, but there has been forgiveness and reconciliation.  In fact, I pray for him often as he is facing health challenges.  The negatives have faded, and the positives have risen to the surface.  Amazing how God works that out!

Just a side note – I have been reminiscing a lot this week because we were Lakers fans in those days, and often it was the Lakers and Celtics in the playoffs, just like they are now!!  Yes, Magic, Kareem, Cooper, Worthy, Scott, Green, Rambis, Bird, Parrish, McHale, Walton, Ainge (I couldn’t stand Danny Ainge) etc… have all retired, but the memories are there.  As I am watching the playoffs with my wife and oldest daughter (the others aren’t much into it yet), I find myself thinking about the old days.  We were usually in Yellowstone or in route during the playoffs.  We would try to find a place to watch the championship when possible.  Thanks for going down memory lane with me for a minute…   

Dads – none of us are perfect.  Not even all the guys I have featured in this series get it right all the time.  We all have our flaws and faults.  However, we can never let that be an excuse to quit trying or to not try at all.  God has given us an incredible responsibility in raising our children.  The journey is tough, but it’s so rewarding.  AND…  we have a Heavenly Father who is perfect and always faithful.  He will give us what we need when we need it.  He will use our mistakes and turn them into learning experiences.  He will filter out the bad and leave the good.  He will even take our good efforts and make them excellent.  He loves our children more than we do.  When we are having a tough time parenting, we should go to the ultimate Father.  His wisdom, just like His love, is perfect.  As fathers, we can have no greater responsibility than to seek our Father and have a relationship with Him.  Then, He will give us what we need to raise our children.  May God bless you as you seek Him in being a father, and may you enjoy your time with your children today.  Let’s all do out best to create great memories for our children to look back on.  God doesn’t call us to be perfect, just faithful!  I’m off to play catch, rent a movie, enjoy my new birdbath and various artworks that the kids made for me, drive my freshly cleaned truck, eat at Carlos O’Kelly’s, and whatever else comes along…

The Rally

Last night we had a 9 and under coach-pitch softball game that started at 8:30.  Needless to say, I’m sure a lot of these kids ended up staying up way past bedtime.  On top of that, we had to play a really good team with several older boys.  The first inning was ugly.  I think they scored 11 or 12 runs in that inning and our half of the inning went pretty quick and resulted in 0 runs!  After the top of the second inning, the score was 20-0.  When it was our time to bat, the ump told us that regardless of how many outs there were, they would give us a chance to bat through our lineup.  This is church league, so we usually deal with very gracious people.  Anyway, our kids began to hit the ball really well.  We have a little boy with Down’s Syndrome on the team who hit the ball and made it to first base.  Eventually, he came around to score and you would have thought he had hit a grandslam and we had won the game.  The whole team was on their feet cheering, as was the crowd.  We ended up batting through the rest of our lineup that didn’t get to bat in the first inning plus a few more who did, and the final score was 20-9.  In all the excitement, I think the kids forgot that they had actually lost the game.  The rally was so energizing that we all forgot that it was late and that we had come up short of a victory.  It was great to be a part of it.  I think we were cheering and jumping around more than the winning team.  I was talking to one of the dads after the game and he shared with me something that he told the kids in the dugout.  Before we started batting, he told them that we still had a chance.  They all looked at him like he was crazy.  As the kids started hitting, one of them looked up with a sparkle in his eyes and said, “Maybe we do have a chance.”  Of course, there is one in every crowd who will say, “We have about half a percent chance of winning this one.”  At that, my friend, the optimist, turned to him and said “Then, let’s go after that half of a percent!”  I love it!  See what encouragement and hope can do in someone’s life?  It can completely turn someone’s attitude and outlook around!  It’s also exciting to see what happens when a team or a group of people gets excited about something.

Don’t we all need those rallies in life to energize us?  Life can be so stressful – work, raising kids, managing the finances, chores, decisions to be made, etc…  Often, it feels like we are in the middle of a lopsided game where we are on the losing side.  We need to remember the hope we have in Jesus Christ, and we need encouragement from those around us to keep us going.  For those who don’t have that hope, we need to share it with them.  I believe it begins with building relationships and meeting needs.  Today, I encourage you to look around and spot those people who need a rally in their lives.  Often, it’s been so long since they’ve had one that they have forgotten what it’s even like.  It’s been so long since they have had hope that they’ve forgotten the word.  In fact, deep down, they think they have about a half a percent chance of a comeback.  When we become the hands and feet of Jesus, we carry hope to the hopeless.  Yes, the score may continue to appear lopsided, but a good rally helps us forget that part of the game!  Having hope helps us to endure the hardships.  In the end, for those who follow Jesus, victory is certain!!

May God use each one of us to encourage and rally those around us!