Where would we be without CHRISTmas?

Luke 2:11-12 "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." NIV Revelation 21:5 "...I am making everything new!..." NIV

It is hard to believe that Christmas is already upon us. Christmas really is a wonderful time of year. The sights the sounds, and the smells are truly amazing. One thing that I love the most about Christmas is that it precedes the New Year. I'm not sure if Jesus was really born on December 25th or not and truthfully I don't really care to the accuracy of His birthday, I am just glad He was born. I am glad that God chose to become one of us so that He could become our empathetic, triumphant Savior and Lord.

It is so brilliant that we celebrate the birth of Christ so close to the New Year because it provides the opportunity to finish the year with reflection on Who Jesus is, Why He came, and How His person and work affect our lives. Regardless of how the year went Christmas provides reflection on what is most important in life. In a sense it refocuses our priorities and purpose when we stop and celebrate the birth our Savior. Without His birth we would not be able to celebrate the salvation that His life, death, resurrection and ascension has provided. We have none of that if He had not first chose to become flesh and make His dwelling among us.

Christmas at the end of the year also provides the opportunity to have a fresh outlook on the New Year. Regardless of the failures of the past year, regardless of the heartache, we have experienced, Christmas is a perfect illustration of the heart of God for us. At the birth of Christ God was ushering in the beginning of His kingdom of which there is no end. Of which we are invited be part of. "Behold He is making all things new." That includes us. For that I am thankful. As you celebrate the birth of Christ this year celebrate the newness of life that Christ not only offers but delivered and will fulfill at His return.

A Tough Command

1 Thessalonians 5:18
“give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” NIV

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. What is better than family, food, and football? (Three of my favorite things in life) However, since I have become a follower of Jesus Thanksgiving has a deeper meaning.

As you search the pages of Scripture you find that thankfulness is a way of life for anyone who wants to know and follow after God. Thankfulness opens the door for reflection on the goodness of God, the character of God and the providence of God.

But how do we give thanks for difficult times and the trials we go through? It is so hard in the middle of difficulty to be thankful. Without a doubt, pain, suffering, and the trials of life are the biggest obstacles for people to overcome concerning faith in God.

I remember being on a mission trip in El Salvador many years ago. We were in the airport awaiting our trip home. It had been an amazing trip. God had done many great things in the lives of many people. With that said, I was ready to get home. We had been there for two weeks. It was hot, humid, and I had taken one shower during the two-week period. You are probably thinking, “Wow, I bet you stunk”. We did bathe, but with buckets of rainwater. I learned to be thankful for simple conveniences that I had taken for granted at home.

Anyhow, back to the airport.

With my eager desire to hurry up and get home we got to our gate and got an announcement that our plane was going to be delayed by 13 hours. Needless to say I was very ticked off. As I began to complain about this inconvenience, the Lord spoke: “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” My complaining heart gave way to faith that God was in control. I thought to myself: “Maybe God is protecting us from something by delaying our plane.”

You see God was not through with what he wanted to do even though I was done. In the airport the team bonded, prayed, and shared Christ with many people who would have otherwise not have been ministered to.

Awaiting us at the Houston airport was a Church bus that was going to drive us back to Denver. This bus was the same one we drove to Houston in the middle of the summer with no air-conditioning (You think God was teaching me some lessons?). The students that I had the privilege of leading wanted to stop in Dallas and spend the night with a former youth group member. I was once again faced with my own selfishness and being inconvenienced. I tried to talk them out of it , “if we drive through the night we will be home in the morning,” I reasoned. But nothing doing, we stayed the night. I pouted on the bus, and slept there all night. I woke up in the morning did my duty bible reading and felt self-righteously ready to depart.

After we had traveled an hour or so, one of the 10th grade girls approached me and said she “felt like God had a word for me.” She began to tell me that God was not through ministering to the team and that I needed to finish strong and be open to what God wanted to do. I was extremely convicted. It took God to use a girl half my age to set me straight. God wonderfully did some healing work in the lives of several people on the bus ride home that would have never happened had we drove through the night. We did indeed finish strong.

What if we saw inconveniences as opportunities for God to move? What if we looked for things to be thankful for in the midst of trials? How different would life be?

The only way to be thankful in all circumstances is to believe two important verses that speak of the sovereign power of God over our lives.

Philippians 2:13
“…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” NIV

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. NIV

What I like about both of these verses is the word “good”. God works and acts for his GOOD purpose, which is obviously for our own good.

Sometimes it is a good practice to ask what a verse does not say in order to understand what it really does mean.

Notice that Paul does not say, “we see”, but rather “we know”. We may never see how God works something good in our lives, but by faith we can trust that he will.

Secondly, he uses the phrase “all things.” He did not say “some things”. God uses everything, our mistakes, the mistakes of others, and all the difficulties life brings us and works it for His good purpose in our lives.

Thirdly, he says it he works it for “good”. He does not say that all things are good. God never calls evil good. He does not call the difficulties good, but that he will work it for good.

Lastly, he uses the phrase “His purpose”. God’s purpose for us is to become like Jesus. The good purpose in God allowing difficulties in our lives is to conform us to the likeness of his son (Romans 8:29). If we do not grasp this then we will be unable to be thankful in all circumstances and we will not grow in Christ-likeness.

May prayer for each of us is that no matter what we have gone through, are going through, or will go through, we will have a heart of thankfulness to the God who is Sovereign, all powerful and all knowing and thus bring him glory with our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Spiritual bitter beer face

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15 NIV

Several years ago there was a beer commercial that claimed if you drank a certain brand of beer you could avoid "Bitter beer face." Bitter beer face happened when you drank beer that was bitter. In the commercial there was an old man who could contort his face in such a way he almost appeared as if he was wearing a mask (see above picture).

On a more serious note, bitterness in the human heart does more than harm our facial expressions, it is so serious it can lead to spiritual and emotional death.

What is this kind of bitterness? According to one noted Bible teacher:

“Bitterness is planted as a seed of anger, rejection, or resentment, bitterness grows into a poisonous emotion that chokes out the peace of God in our lives and defiles the lives of family members and friends.” C.Stanley

In other words, bitterness has it's roots in disappointment and unforgiveness. People can be bitter with God or others, usually a combination of both.

How do people get bitter? People get bitter towards God because when things do not go our way or when He does not answer our prayers the way we had hoped. People get bitter towards others when people disappoint, hurt or offend us and we refuse to forgive them.

Weeds need to be pulled out by the roots. Sure, you can mow over the weeds in your yard and make it look better for a few days, but the weeds will be back. Unless a weed is de-rooted it will always grow back and in most cases stronger because the roots are stronger.

The only remedy to the root of bitterness in the human heart is to choose to forgive and walk in love. Something very helpful is to actually view the person you are bitter with as a tool in God's hands to make you more like Jesus. Walking in grace towards others is very difficult. That is why it is important to always remind yourself of how much God has forgiven you. Charles Stanley writes: "It is impossible for bitterness to grow in the soil of grace." The only way to have a heart filled with grace is to daily ponder the cross of Jesus and what He did for you. When we do this it is like putting spiritual weed and feed on our hearts.

If you would like to go deeper on the subject of bitterness you can listen to the podcast titled 'Bitterness". May God bless you with freedom from bitterness and the joy of having a forgiving heart.

What would it be like?

What would it be like if we actually lived what we say we believe?
More importantly, what would it be like if followers of Jesus actually and consistently put the teachings of Christ into practice? "Why do you call me Lord, and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46-47)

What would marriages be like if couples who said they followed Christ, actually let Christ be in charge instead of themselves? What if every day each spouse made it a priority to make life better for each other rather than being self serving?

What would families be like if Jesus was allowed to be the head of the home? How differently would people in the family treat each other? How much more true joy would there be and how much true celebration of life would there be?

What would it be like if Christians in the work place chose everyday to give Christ first place? How much more productive would we be if we lived with a sense of accountability to God for our time? What would it be like if every business transaction was done through the integrity of Christ rather than being blurred by selfish motives?

What would our community look like if we actually believed that Jesus loved people and wanted to use us to bring healing and hope to all?

What would our churches look like if we truly believed that the local church was the hope of the world?

What would it be like if all who said they followed Christ took his command to love one another more serious than anything else?

What would it be like if we joined Christ's in his invitation?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

What would life be like?

Looking for "It"

I was having a conversation with someone recently who was struggling with life. They were sharing that relationships were disappointing, that they did not like their career route, and they were unsure of God's calling on their life and whether their life was counting for much. In our conversation I realized that this person's struggle was coming from their quest to find "it". We all find ourselves looking for "it" sometimes, I know I do. We think "it" will be found in the right relationship, the right job, the right ministry, or even the right house or car. Yet if we were honest the harder we look for "it" the more dissatisfied we find ourselves.

I told this person that "it" was God Himself. As Augustine said: "Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee." "It" is found in learning how to enjoy God. True joy can only be found in God. God's gifts in life are meaningless if we do not enjoy the Giver of the gifts first. John Piper puts it this way: "To be satisfied in God does not come naturally to sinful people. By nature we get more pleasure out of God's gifts than God Himself." Joy is serious business to God. Finding joy in God is a command in scripture: "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."(Psalm 37:4 NIV) As with all of God's commands He always has our best in mind and at heart.

He is the Superior Pleasure.
Delighting in God is the remedy to overcoming sin: "You have filled my heart with greater joy..." (Psalm 4:7 NIV) Sin promises pleasure; that is why we are tempted by it. God promises pleasure as well. When we seek Him and obey Him we will find a greater joy than sin can offer.

He is the Superior Promise.
Delighting in God is the remedy to heartache and disappointments of life:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:3-9 NIV)
The promise of eternal life in heaven outweighs any trial, struggle, or disappointment this life can bring.

He is the Superior Power.
Delighting in God is the remedy to routine and apathy: "...the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV) Joy in God is where we find true spiritual and emotional strength. Sometimes I find my prayer life a drag. Why? Because prayer becomes drudgery when it is seen as duty rather than a means of joy. The same can be said of worship. Worship becomes routine when it is not pursued as a means of joy.

I know that what I need in my life is to learn to enjoy God more. There are many things that get in the way of me enjoying God. TV, busyness, schedules, self, false thoughts of God, avoiding the Word, avoiding prayer, avoiding others, keeping grudges, pursuing joy in God's gifts rather than God Himself, the list could go on and on.

I realized the other day I was looking for "it". God reminded me that I was simply looking for Him. He had not gone anywhere. I am determined not to pray more, read more, serve more, or even obey more, but rather to enjoy God more. I know if I do that all of these things will be in my life.

I pray you will join me...

Oh How He Loves Us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUbImPNsmng

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy. When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, And I realize just how beautiful You are, And how great Your affections are for me.

He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves. Yeah, He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize, Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes, If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking. And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss, And my heart turns violently inside of my chest, I don't have time to maintain these regrets, When I think about, the way.

He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves. Yeah, He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves us, Oh how He loves.

The words to David Crowder's latest song are powerful (the song is actually written by John Mark McMillan) The thought hit me the first time I heard it that if people could just truly accept the truth of these words our lives would be changed. It would not matter what people thought of us. It would not matter how much money we have or do not have. It would not matter what our circumstances brought to us because we have the perfect love of the Creator of the universe in our hearts...

Romans 8:31-39
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NIV

The rest of the story

NOTE: Please read the previous blog "Very Humbled" to understand the context of this entry.

My last entry was about the gift that I received from the African Pastor in Nigeria. The day that I entered that blog I tried to contact, through e-mail, the pastor and thank him for the beautiful garment. I wanted to get some more books to him as well. If you recall, a couple in my church had given their son a copy of "Noblesse Oblige" as he was graduating from college. I had met the Durhams and their son Ben on August 16th. That is the day they gave me the gift from Africa. We did not have much time that day to talk. It was more of a quick version of the story of how and why the book traveled to Nigeria. In short up until today I thought the highlight of the story was what had transpired through the Nigerian Pastor Timothy, reading "Noblesse Oblige." In comes the rest of the story.

It was my understanding that Ben was gong back to Nigeria, so I tried to contact him to get him some books to take with him. Ben returned my phone call today and informed me that he was not going to Nigeria, but back to Texas to do graduate work. Thankfully, I got to hear Ben's whole story. You see, this whole story is not really about me, the book, the Nigerian pastor, but about Ben and his relationship with Jesus.

Ben told me that the reason he went to Nigeria was to study an indigenous religion called "Ifa" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ifa ). Ben had been raised in the Christian faith, but lost his faith at age 16 when his mother died of cancer. Like so many people, Ben wondered: "how could a good and all powerful God allow such suffering"? Without going into great detail, the Ifa religion offered some possible answers to a lot of unanswered questions for Ben. Thus Ben journeyed to Nigeria in search of peace and hope.

On the flight over Ben said he read my book. He said that it primed the pump spiritually for what God was about to do in his life. This is where the story takes off.

Ben's host family for his study time would be at the home of Reverend Timothy Oyebisi, a local Christian pastor. Over the years the Reverend has hosted many students like Ben, showing them grace and hospitality.

The Reverend asked Ben why he was in Nigeria. Ben told him about his desire to find some answers and some solace in the Ifa religion concerning his mom. Reverend Timothy in turn shared the truth about Jesus Christ with Ben. He told him that he would not find peace in Ifa but in Christ alone. He told him that Jesus could and would heal his heart and give him back his life if Ben would give him his. Ben did just that. He was re-introduced to Jesus through Timothy Oyebisi. God, in his sovereignty, placed Ben in Timothy's path to bring him to faith in Jesus.

Ben shared with me that he would wake up in the morning during his time with Timothy to the sound of Timothy praying prayers of destiny and hope. He prayed that Ben would find a wife that would help fill the hole that was created by losing his mom. Ben was mentored by this wonderful African pastor in a very impacting way in his brief time in Nigeria. Ben is going back to school to learn how he can be used of God to make life better for others in Africa. I guess you could say he found his "Noblesse Oblige". Obviously, Reverend Oyebisi is living his "Noblesse Oblige" as well.

Very Humbled

Today I received a beautiful gift (see picture) from a pastor in Nigeria. It is a hand made garment for men to wear. The reason I was given this gift from a man I have never met, from a place I have never been, is he read my book "Noblesse Oblige" and wanted to express his gratitude for my writing the book. It is very humbling that a man from Nigeria would be blessed by something a suburban white American had to say.

How did he get a hold of the book? Well, a couple in our church bought the book for their son who was graduating from college. He in turn took a school related trip to Nigeria and brought the book with him. He gave it to the pastor whom he happened to be staying with. The pastor so enjoyed it he wanted to give a blessing to me. So the couple and their son met me at church today and gave me the gift.

I hope and pray that one day I can go to Africa. I want to experience the beauty of the land and the beauty of the people. I want to witness the hand of God upon the humble church in Africa. Maybe I can even meet the pastor who read my book.

I remember when I was writing the book having the thought:"I wonder if someone from Africa read my thoughts would it connect with them?" I honestly thought that! Well, I guess my question was answered. It is very fulfilling and humbling at the same time. I did not write the book to be rich and famous, but to grow in Kingdom influence. My hope is that it will continue to challenge people to spend their lives on what matters most regardless of nationality or culture.

Revelation 7:9-10
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." NIV

Change

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace. NLT

I am feeling a bit uneasy today. It is mind boggling how fast time goes. The summer is coming to an end (where did it go?). Kids are preparing to go back to school. Football season is on the way, and the leaves will be changing and falling before you know it. Like it or not seasons change. Seasons come and go.

I had the thought today that my oldest daughter only has 5 more summer breaks and she will be out of school! That puts things into perspective. I can remember the day she was born like yesterday. How fast time flies! Whether I like it or not my kids are growing older, I can do nothing to stop it.

Change is a paradoxical experience. Change is always experienced in a two-fold way by people. Depending upon the experience, change is experienced as loss by some and as exciting to others. The same thing that is experienced as exciting to some is embraced as loss to others.

I guess the best thing we can do is to embrace change as a reality of life. Embrace it as an adventure to live through and allow it to point us to the hope we have in an eternal God who thankfully never changes.

Expectations verses Expectancy

I was at a leadership conference yesterday and heard one of those life changing "ha ha" nuggets of wisdom. The man who was emceeing the day said at the beginning of the talks that there was a difference between expectations and expectancy. He said that: "Expectations were the seeds of resentment." He went on to say that expectancy was different because expectancy is open minded. I began to process what he said and was blown away. Understanding this affects relationships, marriage, parenting, our jobs etc.
Expectations are self-centered and when they are not met we get angry and resentful. If my expectations are not met I feel cheated. Most often expectations are never explained or even talked about in relationships, they are just assumed. We all know what assuming does.
Expectancy is different because it is open, hopeful, trusting, and filled with faith in a God who is loving and sovereign. When I do not have expectations but rather walk in expectancy I am positioned for whatever God wants and however He would lead.
Where in your life do you have unwritten expectations of others that when not met you are becoming resentful?
How about from God? Where have you had expectations from God that were not met and if you were honest have become a little resentful towards Him?
Turn your expectations into expectancy and trust Him to be faithful do what is best in every situation.

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. NIV

Satan Worship?

I have been preparing a message to preach at church tonight regarding the temptations Jesus went through in Luke 4. In re-reading the text I was blown away by something I had never seen before. It says:

Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. (from New International Version)

There were a few things about each temptation that Jesus went through that stood out:
First of all, would he trust His Father to provide for Him or would He take matters into His own hands and misuse His abilities to serve His own purposes. None of us will be tempted to turn stones into bread because we do not have that ability, but we will be tempted where we are gifted. For example, if I have people skills I will be tempted to manipulate people to do what I want them to do with my ability. In other words I will be misusing my gift. Christ's maturity was being tested. Maturity is the ability to endure pain and delay pleasure. Jesus was tempted by both.
Secondly, Jesus was tempted to give His loyalty to Satan. We must always keep in mind that Jesus was fully human, just like us (Hebrews 2:14-18). So He was experiencing the same struggles we do.
Thirdly, He was tempted to take a short-cut to what God had called Him to. Satan was tempting Him to show off His power so He could gain everyone;s approval. Think of what Jesus was about to endure. He was going to be rejected, betrayed, and greatly misunderstood. Satan was tempting Him to take a short cut that would jeopardize His integrity.
I want to focus for a moment on the second temptation. Satan's temptation to worship Him. Why would that be a temptation for anyone, let alone Jesus? The answer is in the context. He told Jesus that He would give Him power, pleasure, and possessions if He would worship Him. True Satan worship is not death metal music, Ozzy Osborne biting off the head of a bat, or blood sacrifices, or any other pagan rituals. It is the worship of self. It is living for pleasure, power, and possessions as the chief end of your life. I once heard a leader in the church of Satan say that "real Satan worship begins by being your own boss and calling the shots for your life."
We are all tempted to worship Satan in the same sense that Jesus was. Will I live for self? Or will I live for the glory of God and the betterment of others. Jesus responded with "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." Let that be our response as well when we are tempted to give our loyalty and worship to power, pleasure, possessions, and self.

Longing For Eden Part #1

I believe that the reason a lot of people struggle in the Christian life is because they have a faulty view of what has been promised to us by Jesus. A lot of people think that following Jesus means a life that will be free from pain. We hear people preach and talk about "the victorious Christian life", but what does that mean? Does that mean we will be spared from struggles in life? What did Jesus promise? He promised that if we trust in Him as Savior we can have eternal life (John 3:16). He promised that He would give us His peace regardless of our circumstances (John 14:27). He also promised:

"...Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 NLT

Notice He did not say "you might" have trials and sorrows, but "you will."

Yesterday I was reminded once again of how fragile life is. A very healthy lady I know had a severe stoke and as I write this is on her death bed. I went to the hospital and prayed with her husband and family as they struggled to cope with the pain of losing someone so dear to them. Thankfully, she is a strong believer in Christ and has the promise of eternal life waiting for her when she dies. The struggle is for those left behind that will miss her.

Heaven is heaven because there is no pain, sorrow, sickness, death, or sin. It is the place where we will perfectly know and experience God's presence and joy. There will be nothing in the way of fully knowing Him. Ironically, how I described heaven is how life was for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Prior to the Fall (Genesis 3), there was no sickness & sorrow, because there was no sin. What we all long for is to go back to Eden. The difficulty is we cannot go back to Eden until we die and go to heaven. Where my friend who had the stroke is about to go, is the place we all are truly longing for.

I love the music of Mercy Me. They have a very powerful song about what I am trying to say. Here are the lyrics:

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

If you want to hear the song follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvhrPMJe8LE

True Citizens

After thinking about the National Day of Prayer yesterday I picked up a book I read a while back called "Finding God" by Larry Crabb. It is a heavy book that addresses some deep issues in our walks with God. It is not for the faint of heart or those looking for a "feel good" book. Rather it is an intense look at why we do some of the things we do. We need to understand that our hearts are on a search for a real, passionate, and deep relationship with God yet we often look in the wrong direction and wrong places.

I was moved by a portion of the book I read last night and the irony of what I had been thinking about yesterday and the Kingdom of God and our citizenship in heaven. Dr. Crabb writes:

"We are more committed to making life work now than we are to finding God and living for a later hope. We naturally turn to God only to use him to improve our present lives...All our troublesome passions spring from this core passion to make to make our present lives better: distorted appetites for food or sex, bizarre urges that overwhelm us at the least convenient times, consuming desires to like ourselves better, a frantic determination to succeed personally or professionally, an insistence that spiritual victory translate into a comfortable life that no tragedy or tension can disrupt, a lust for revenge against those who have hurt us. We are passionately determined to make our lives less painful, and we will do whatever it takes to reach this goal in a disappointing, sometimes pleasurable, and maddeningly uncertain world.
To feel a deep, throbbing passion about our well-being in this world is as natural as breathing. And nothing is wrong with that, unless we feel no deeper passion! God has told us to love him with a passion that exceeds all other passions. Until we are chasing after God like a thirsty deer after water, pursuing him with more passion than we pursue a new home, parental approval, or kids who make us proud, this world fits us well. We're conformed to its values. Our citizenship is here.
Citizens of this world live with two objectives: (1) to find some way to make their present lives happier, and (2) to influence the people and materials in their world to cooperate. Beneath their every act of altruism, benevolence, and sacrifice lies the motive of self-service that destroys its moral value.
Christians, however, are citizens of another world; in this one we are strangers, aliens, and pilgrims. Our distinguishing mark is our passion for God. We endure hardship to serve him because we love him and are confident of his promise to bless us. At least that's the plan. But our natural passions keep getting in the way. Although we claim citizenship in heaven, we live like locals."

May God help each of us to not feel so comfortable here on earth that we forget where our real home is. May He remind us of the place we are truly longing for, the place that Jesus promised he was preparing for us. May God help us to live in this world with passion for Him and compassion for others, not looking to this world for hope and ultimate satisfaction, but to enjoy it and serve it for His glory and purpose. Amen.

Citizenship

Philippians 3:20-21
"...our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." NIV

Today is the National Day of Prayer. It is a day set aside by our nation to pray for our government leaders, city officials,and many of the struggles our nation faces(1 Timothy 2:1-4). It is also a time to give thanks to God for His hand of blessing upon our land.

With blessing comes responsibility. God always blesses people and nations to be a blessing to others.

I love our country. I am thankful that I am an American. I believe that our country is still great and there is no place I would rather live or be from. However, we must always remember that America nor any nation is the Kingdom of God.
John 18:36
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. NIV

The Kingdom of God is first of all spiritual:
"Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again...no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." (John 3:3,5 NIV)

Secondly, on one hand, the Kingdom of God is not a place per se, but rather wherever God rules and reigns:
"...Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21 NIV)

Thirdly, on the other hand, the Kingdom of God is and will be a physical place (see Revelation 20-21). The earth is the Lord's already, but there is coming a day when Jesus will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lord's. That is the Kingdom yet to come. Right now He reigns in the hearts of His people. One day He will reign over all.

So, when we pray for our nation we must keep in mind how our nation fits into the sovereign plan and will of God. Often we pray prayers that are based around "our interest and our way of life." We must always be mind of where our true citizenship is as followers of our King.

"Our Father Who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."

Hang in there

Well, sometimes my life just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small

So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It's so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart

So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees

And this Salvation Army band is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin

I'm singing hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

(Copy and paste and watch the video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gBGGX3yvMo

Rich Mullins is one of my heroes.

Help

It has been a wild couple of weeks in my life. Not necessarily for me personally but for many people I know and love. It seems like this is a season of turmoil and chaos. For many it's marital chaos. Some just family chaos. And others just seem to be hurting and not really finding answers.

Last weekend we celebrated Easter. We celebrated the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is the celebration of His triumph over sin, death, and Satan. After Jesus rose from the grave Scripture teaches that he appeared to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (Mark 16:1), Peter, the other disciples, and over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6). He reminded them of why He had to suffer and die. Jesus walked the earth in His resurrected body for 40 days after He was raised. He then ascended back to heaven. (Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:8-11)

The ascension is a huge but often overlooked event in Christianity. Thankfully some in Christianity actually celebrate the ascension as a monumental holiday. The ascension was important to Jesus. He talks of it's importance in the Gospel of John: "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." John 16:7-8 NIV Ten days after Jesus ascended, on the day of Pentecost, Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit on the Church (Acts 2).

Billy Graham writes:
"Man has two great needs. One is forgiveness. The other is goodness. Consciously or unconsciously, his inner being longs for both. There are times when man actually cries for them, even though in his restlessness, confusion, loneliness, fear, and pressures he may not know what he is crying for. God heard that first cry for help, that cry for forgiveness, and answered it at Calvary. God sent His Son into the world to die for our sins...God also heard our second cry, that cry for goodness, and answered it at Pentecost. God does not, want us to come to Christ by faith, and then lead a life of defeat, discouragement, and dissension. Rather, He wants to "fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you" (2 Thess. 1:11-12). To the great gift of forgiveness God adds also the great gift of the Holy Spirit. He is the source of power who meets our need to escape from the miserable weakness that grips us. He gives us the power to be truly good...the work of the Son of God is for us...the work of the Spirit is in us." (Billy Graham "The Holy Spirit" 1978)

God, through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit has given us everything we need for the desperate cries of our heart. Jesus answers our need for forgiveness and the Holy Spirit answers our need for goodness. Both are gifts from God to be received by faith.

We need to daily think on these truths. When life gets chaotic and stressful we have the Holy Spirit living inside us to lead and guide our thoughts, decisions, and actions.

Galatians 5:16-25
"So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law.
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives." NLT

May each of us live in the power of the Spirit and depend on Him as we follow Jesus together.

I'm back......

Sorry for the long delay in this blogging thing. We have been adjusting to married life (it is great by the way!) and having a house filled with 5 people.

As Easter is rapidly approaching, I have been reading some very old books about the cross and the finished work of Christ on our behalf. So I am going to take the next few weeks and write about what I glean from these old books and authors. I am convinced that people who lose their passion for Christ and become apathetic in their walks do so because of a failure to keep the cross at the forefront of their thoughts. I could not agree more with following quotes:

“We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of it.” D. Prior

“The cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough to it for its sparks to fall on us.” J. Stott

Scripture teaches:

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:6-11 NIV)

Christ died as the climax of the deliberate plan of God to demonstrate His love for us. The Romans passage teaches that Christ died for the ungodly and that He died for us. When one recognizes their ungodliness they realize that Christ died for them.

Often I talk with people who struggle with wondering if God loves them or not. Why does this happen? First of all, we tend to be very subjective in our understanding of the love of God. Sometimes God seems far away. Sometimes we do not "feel" God.When you find yourself doubting the love of God think of the cross.

Secondly, we tend to look at our circumstances as the measure of the love of God for us. When things do not go our way or turn out the way we had hoped we wonder and think: "If God really loved me, this would not have happened." However, we are told to "walk by faith, not by sight." Walking by sight is trusting in feelings or circumstances more than trusting in the objective truth and promises of scripture. Walking in faith is just that, hoping in, putting our confidence in, and trusting in what Jesus did for us at the cross. Jesus promised that we would have difficulty and deal with difficult people in this life, but to take courage He has overcome them all.

Take some time and meditate on what Jesus did for you:
Isa 53:1-12
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,and he will divide the spoils with the strong,because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors. (from New International Version)

This passage was written over 500 years before Jesus died, yet it gives a detailed account of what Jesus went through for us.

I will be back soon with more thoughts on the cross.

Hope springs eternal

Now that the Super bowl is over what is a baseball/football fan to do? Hockey? Boring. NBA basketball? Fair, but not great. I do have some Rockies games saved on the DVR...
So between now and March madness there is not much else to do for a Colorado Sports fan. Thankfully pitchers and catchers will report to spring training soon, which means God's favorite sport (baseball) will be starting again soon. With baseball season comes springtime. New life. The anticipation that summer is right around the corner! For me the start of baseball season has deep meaning. Every year is a fresh start for all major league teams. Who knew last year that the worst franchise in baseball would make it to the world series and have a banner year? Who knew the year before that our Rockies would put together a run for the ages and make it to the Series as well? The odds were not good to say the least. We all need the hope that spring brings with it.
So what should I do between now and baseball? Thankfully the hope of spring is springing a little soon this year... Yes, I am getting married to the most wonderful woman God could have brought me.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.NIV
The sovereignty of God is the most profound doctrine in the Bible. Only God can be sovereign and still allow free-will. Humans can only be sovereign when free-will is taken away. God in His sovereignty allows humans free-will and still orchestrates things behind the scenes for our good and His glory. Only God can to take two people that were broken by life and circumstances and work things for good. He always has a plan. Our job is to keep our hearts right, obey Him and trust Him with the results. Thank God He is sovereign! No one likes pain when we are going through it, but if we can keep an eternal perspective we can cooperate with God as He works His sovereign plan through our submitted lives. He is a restorer, a redeemer, and an incredible Savior!
Jude 24
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy- 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. NIV

See you after the honeymoon!

I don't belong here

I was listening to Switchfoot while I was on a run the other day and I realized how much I related to the lyrics to the song "Beautiful Letdown." This song describes my conversion to becoming a Christ follower. I am thankful I was letdown as well.

Beautiful Letdown by Switchfoot

It was a beautiful let down
When I crashed and burned
When I found myself alone unknown and hurt
It was a beautiful let down
The day I knew
That all the riches this world had to offer me
Would never do

In a world full of bitter pain and bitter doubt
I was trying so hard to fit in, fit in,
Until I found out
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong
But I don't belong

It was a beautiful let down
When you found me here
Yeah for once in a rare blue moon I see everything clear
I'll be a beautiful let down
That's what I'll forever be
And though it may cost my soul
I'll sing for free
We're still chasing our tails and the rising sun
And our dark water planet's
Still spinning in a race
Where no one wins and no one's one

I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I'm gonna set sight and set sail for the kingdom come
I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong
But i don't belong
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
Kingdom come
Your kingdom come

Won't you let me down yeah
Let my foolish pride
Forever let me down

Easy living, not much like your name
Easy dying, you look just about the same
Won't you please take me off your list
Easy living please come on and let me down

We are a beautiful let down,
Painfully uncool,
The church of the dropouts
The losers, the sinners, the failures and the fools
Oh what a beautiful let down
Are we salt in the wound
Let us sing one true tune

I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
Feels like I don't belong here
Let me down
Let me down
Feels like I'm let down
Let me down.
Cuz I don't belong here
Please
Won't you let me down?


If you have never heard this song you can listen on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wlePWP7QvM

What are you going to do with your luggage?

‘Maybe the reason life is so hard is because we think life should be easy.” Scott Peck

I was thinking recently about a trip my family I took to Hawaii when I was a kid. We were leaving on the last day of school. I was graduating from the third grade. As I was making my way home from school I ended up doing battle with a very large bumblebee. The bee made a couple of fly bys and then moved in for the kill. I remember tilting my head to the left trying to avoid the bee from going into my ear when I felt excruciating pain in my left ear lobe. Yes it happened, a bumblebee stung me on my ear lobe. I ran the rest of the way home screaming in agony as my worst nightmare had come true. My ear lobe swelled to the size of a golf ball. It hurt and I was traumatized as we were supposed to be going on vacation.

What is funny is that the biggest memory I have from that trip was not Hawaii or the bee sting but the family luggage set my parents had purchased for the trip. It was the Samsonite family collection. They were classic mid 1970’s. They were hard shell cases equipped with small carry on hard shell cases as well. They were amazing! The best part was the color. I can only describe the color as a hot pinkish, Pepto-Bismol, sort of wanna be red color. Can you imagine lugging those babies to the airport these days? It was the sort of luggage collection that people trying to get rid of at garage sales today after they clean out their attic.

The reality is we all have “baggage” in our lives that we carry around and want to get rid of. Some people’s baggage is obvious. It is as noticeable as the Pepto-Bismol colored Samsonite collection! They cannot help it. Their baggage follows them wherever they go. Somebody hurt them or some set of unfortunate circumstances set off a chain of “baggage” events that never seems to come to an end.

Yesterday, I was with a few friends at a Starbucks downtown. We ordered our drinks and I also ordered a muffin. There was a homeless man sitting in the Starbucks by himself trying to stay warm. He had a few backpacks and a few possessions with him, but that was it. My heart hurt for him. That is somebody’s son I thought to myself. There sat a lonely man who as a kid probably played little league. As a high school student he probably had dreams of what he wanted to do with his life when he got older. How did he get to be “the guy with the backpacks” who sits in Starbucks, but has no money to buy a coffee? How did he get to be the guy with the baggage that no one cared about? I gave him my muffin and he very politely said “thank you, that is kind of you.”

Recently, a good friend of mine made a comment about another friend of mine after the two of them met. He made the observation that my friend like all of us obviously had “life baggage” but did not seem to have “spiritual baggage.” I had never really thought of it that way that there was a difference between “life baggage” and “spiritual baggage.” Life baggage is the effect that difficult people and circumstances have on us. It is being disappointed with life and it handicaps us emotionally and relationally. However, spiritual baggage is different. Spiritual baggage is a feeling of disappointment with God. The notion that somehow He let you down, or the church let you down.

The healthy thing about life baggage is that it can and should point us to our need for Christ. The more I carry it around the more I realize I need to give it to Jesus. The more it shows up the more I depend upon him to help. The scary thing about spiritual baggage is that it causes people to refuse to turn to their only source of help.

Spiritual baggage seems to come from a false understanding of God. Spiritual baggage questions God and wonders if He loved us, we would never suffer. Spiritual baggage comes from thinking that God has promised something he didn’t. Jesus promised:

“…Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 NLT

He also promised:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV

My hope is that each one of us could give our Samsonite collection to Christ and never let life baggage decay into spiritual baggage.

Don’t be afraid to let them see you limp

Like most Denver Bronco fans I was shocked at the firing of Mike Shanahan as head coach of the team. He had been the head coach for 14 years. That is a long time! As a fan I almost feel like I know him because of the number of games and interviews I have seen over those years. That made it hard to hear that he was no longer going to be around.
I was able to watch most of his press conference the day after his dismissal as head coach. I was moved by the humility and transparency that Coach Shanahan displayed as he fielded difficult questions regarding his firing.
Shanahan always presented himself as a confident man and a sharp leader, but there was something different at this press conference. The Broncos are a very proud organization, but they have not had much success in the past several years. Coach Shanahan did not make excuses, he took responsibility for the team’s lack of success.
What stood out to me was how Shanahan kept referring to the owner of the Broncos, Pat Bowlen, as a great leader: “the best owner in football” he said several times. Shanahan and Bowlen have a unique employee employer relationship. They are best friends. How difficult would it be to be fired by your best friend? How difficult would it be to fire your best friend? However, Shanahan said several times: “Leaders have to make tough calls and decisions. They have to make choices that are best for the organization. And that is what Pat had to do in this situation.”
Shanahan took a lot of heat for not being able to win without the Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. Most people consider Shanahan a failure because he could not win the big one with out his prized quarterback. Mike Shanahan will be a head coach in the NFL again, and who knows the success that might be ahead of him, but he will always have to walk with the limp of being fired. He will walk with the limp of failure. Can you imagine the pressure that being in the spot light has caused Coach Shanahan? It is easy to let failure become our identity and to let success become our identity. How much for those in the spot light?
Have you ever been fired from a job? In my teens and early twenties I bounced from odd job to odd job. I remember being fired from a job once; it was humiliating even though the job was not that big of a deal. It affected my self-worth negatively. It wasn’t until I became a Christian that I was released from a “failure mentality”. The problem is we tend to find our identity in our success or our failures. The reality is if you follow Jesus you should never find your identity in anything or anyone other than Christ:

"He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:15-17 NLT)

I have a limp. It is not a visible limp. It is inside of me. It is an emotional limp. Sometimes you have to look real close to see my limp, but I promise you its there. The limp is caused by scar tissue on my heart. There are scars on my heart that will always be there. These scars are self-inflicted by the many mistakes I have made. They are reminders of the many failures I have endured. Like everyone else life has dealt me some difficult blows. My life is filled with “coulda’s, shoulda’s, and woulda’s’. “I could have done this. I should have done that. If I had only known then it would have been different.”
My scars are not all self-inflicted. Like everyone else I have been on the receiving end of rejection and betrayal. In many ways those scars cause the biggest part of my limp. However, the blessing of walking with a limp is it is also a reminder of God’s grace. It reminds me that only he can take something meant for evil and turn it for good. Only he can take failures and work them for our good and his glory.
A couple of people close to my life have noticed my limp and I have to admit I am a little embarrassed by it. Who wants to be singled out as handicapped? These two men do not know each other but said the same thing to me. They said “the limp says we can trust you.” Hearing that statement was like a drink of cold water for my thirsty soul. It was like that good pain you feel when you massage a bruise.
I pray that my limp causes me to walk in empathy towards others. I pray that my limp will be used to help others through their pain.
I do not know if coach Shanahan will be a better coach because of his firing (his limp). But I do know because of it he has an opportunity to become a better man for it. On his next job he will be a better leader for it.
Lets limp together!