Black Eyed Peas and Bowl Games

Romans 12:11 “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” NIV

I have been practicing the discipline of journaling for about 15 years. I have stacks of spiral notebooks that are filled with thoughts, prayers, and some pretty funny stuff from my past. One of the reasons I like to journal is it is good to look back and see where I was at spiritually and emotionally at different times of my life. This past year I started my journal every morning with the word “yesterday”. I learned this from Bill Hybels’ book on prayer. After I write the word “yesterday” I reflect over the day before. I would write every detail of the day. I would write what I was feeling, who I had conversations with, and what I did. The reason for this exercise is it helps me to think through why I do what I do. It makes me realize how much time I waste and how much time I waste worrying about things I shouldn’t be worrying about. It gives me some accountability for how I spend my days.

New Years Day is one of my favorite holidays…yes I love college football, and we traditionally eat black-eyed peas all day. But I also love how New Years brings with it a sense of having a fresh start. It naturally brings with it the need to reflect and seek God for new vision and passion for life. I am not one who is big on resolutions but one who likes setting goals. Some of the goals I achieve and some I don’t. Either way it causes me to unravel from the mundane.

I was looking through my goals that I set for 2008. I actually did pretty good achieving the personal goals I set last New Years Eve. Think about how fast this past year has flown by. Who knew the ups and the downs? Who knew the good and the bad that would be experienced? The reality is life happens. It happens whether we like what it brings or not.

Take a minute and read what Moses says in Psalm 90 about how quick life happens:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=23&chapter=90&version=77

Have you ever noticed the word within the word LIFE? It is a big fat IF! None of us has any idea what this next year will bring. We really do not have much control over people and circumstances. We can control how we will respond to people and circumstances, but we do not control much else. James tells us “What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.” (James 4:15-16 NIV) Do the goals I am setting include praying God’s will? Have I been putting off something that I know God wants me to do? Do I have the right attitude when look at this next year? Will I step out in faith and take risks only IF I know things are going to work out in my favor?

The reality is that this next year will have its challenges. The most important thing for this New Year is to keep our hearts fixed on Jesus. To look to him in prayer, listen to him in his word, and to live for him practically. I love this quote: “Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them makes life meaningful.”

What will be different in our lives and world this time next year because of the goals we set now? Lets prepare now for the future. Lets create the future by setting God sized goals and living out God ordained dreams. He loves us, and is passionate for each of us. May this be the best year of your life!

What does Jesus want for Christmas?

Mark 10:45

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” NIV

Matthew 25:40

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” NIV

Giving and receiving gifts can be a good and bad experience. When you receive a gift that you know someone really put thought into it makes you feel appreciated and loved. When you receive that irrelevant gift it can make you feel unappreciated most definitely disappointed. You know the type of gifts I am talking about, socks, dishes, ornaments, ties, or picture frames.

Kids are the most honest of people. When they tear open a beautifully wrapped gift only to find underwear or socks you can see the disappointment on their faces. Why? They were hoping for some cool toy, something flashy, something that requires batteries! Not socks, not something practical and boring. They had dreams of something different for their Christmas morning.

My family has decided this year instead of giving gifts to each other we are going to give life to the less fortunate. We are giving to help people in Uganda and Burma through Global Refuge. Global Refuge is a ministry that meets the practical needs of malnourished, HIV infected, hurting people in places most of us will never see or even hear of. On a normal year my kids and their cousins receive great gifts from their Grandparents. However, this past Thanksgiving they decided that this year would be different. They asked if the money that would have been spent on their gifts to go directly to these remote places where the forgotten and less fortunate suffer greatly. This will be a Christmas they will never forget.

Most people who open presents on Christmas this year will not be thinking about the real reason for giving gifts. They will not be thinking about the real reason Christians give each other gifts, Jesus. He is the gift.

The other day I was thinking about Christmas and the thought hit me: “What does Jesus want for his birthday this year?” I wrote down a few of the gift ideas he told me he would like:

My heart…My faith… My loyalty… My future… My guilt… My worship…My relationships…My past…My anxiety…My goals & aspirations… My hands and feet to go wherever he would send me…

What would represent socks, ties and picture frames to Jesus this Christmas? Probably something like Religious behavior, dutiful worship, and a few bucks in the offering plate.

I don’t think he wants socks, ties, or even picture frames, he wants us.

As you think about what you are going to give Jesus for Christmas this year I leave you with what I think He wants from us this Christmas.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. Amen.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. Amen.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. Amen.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.

And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love an pray for this day, and forever more. Amen.

A Franciscan Blessing

What do I want for Christmas this year?

Romans 7:17-25 (The Message)
“…I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

For Christmas I want a Josh Hamilton jersey. Inside sources tell me it is on the way. I have been reading the story of Josh Hamilton, the phenom baseball player for the Texas Rangers who dazzled a New York crowd last July in the Home run derby by putting on quite the show. His story is gut wrenching. He went from a charmed life to complete despair in drug addiction to recovery in Jesus Christ then back into Major League baseball. Josh Hamilton is a real life “Roy Hobbs”. Roy Hobbs was the fictional character in the movie “The Natural” that starred Robert Redford back in the 80’s. Hobbs had a gift to play baseball at a level head and shoulders above everybody else. When he was asked how he wanted to be remembered he said: “When people see me walking down the street I want them to say there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was.” In the story Hobbs’ career was side tracked when a crazy woman tragically shot him. The body of the story is his triumphant comeback into baseball.

When Josh Hamilton was 6 years old he was so good they had to make an exception to the little league rules of his hometown and allow him to play on his older brother’s 11-year-old team. Needless to say Josh was good. So good that out of High school he was the #1 pick in the 1999 draft and was given the largest signing bonus ever.

Josh was quickly making his way to the majors when a back injury sidelined him. To make a long story short Josh started down a path of addictive self-destruction and drugs. Josh paid a huge price for his drug addiction. His money was gone, his family was severed, and his career was down the toilet. In his book “Beyond Belief” he tells about how his Grandmother took him in when he had nothing left and no one to turn to and helped him down the road to recovery. While living with his Grandmother Josh gave his life over to Jesus and asked for Christ’s help not so he could play ball again, not even for the sake of his family, but to find real hope and lasting purpose.

Eventually Josh found his way back to the baseball diamond and ultimately on top of his profession. As his triumphal comeback continues, I assume that Josh has to battle his addictive nature everyday. I bet he realizes that he is one step or one choice away from falling prey to drugs all over again. We have all read stories about people who struggle with addiction. Many of them “get clean” for a while only to find themselves back in the struggle all over again. Yet here is the beauty of it all. God takes a messed up, shipwrecked man who threw away everything for drugs and gives him mercy and grace and a platform to help others find the road to recovery in the only One who can truly help, Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. NLT

I am glad God rescued Josh. I admire his humility and wince at his frailty. I am glad God rescued me for I am aware everyday of my own battles and frailty. Like Paul wrote: “I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does.’ Josh Hamilton understands this. I feel a kinship with his frailty and that his why I want his jersey for Christmas…

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. NLT

Incarnation, gifts, and Christian bookstores

Last night I went out to do a little Christmas shopping at the "Christian" bookstore and maybe pick up a new bible. My Bible is pretty worn out. I ran into several people I knew. However, we were to busy looking for gifts that we did not have much time for long conversation. Folks were busy looking for that special gift for that special someone, or maybe that not so special obligatory someone! Anyhow, I had a good laugh at some of the things that are sold in "Christian" bookstores. There was the "Your best life now" board game. I wonder if Joel Osteen had that in mind when he wrote the book? Then there was the advertisement for the Christian version of "Guitar Hero" called "Guitar praise"! I am not sure what is wrong with a little "Smoke on the water" or "Barracuda", but sure enough there is now a Christian version of "Guitar hero". Why do we Christians do stuff like that? It made me think of another time I was in a Christian bookstore and I saw two Jewish teenagers walk in with very puckish looks on their faces. They had a camera and began to take pictures of themselves holding up little Christian trinkets like "Testamints" and choir robes, I am sure they would have held up the Joel Osteen board game if it had been out back then. They were having a blast making fun of the marketing of Jesus and to be honest I could not blame them. After they had their fun they walked out the door yelling "Happy Hanukkah". That gave away that they were Jewish as well as their yarmulkes in their pockets.
We Christians spend a lot of effort trying to "Christianize" the world we live in rather than serving and influencing the way Jesus himself did. When we do this we miss the point. Jesus did not come as a babe in the manger to make a Christian world, but to give himself for the world:
John 3:17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. NIV
As Christmas day approaches enjoy the sights, the smells, and the sounds, but let it be a reminder of Christ's main purpose for coming in the first place. He did not come to make a Christian world but to create a new people group who by following him would prepare themselves for real life and for eternity.

Christmas verse to ponder:
Romans 5:17-19
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. NIV